Another 56,000 new merchants have begun to accept Bitcoin payments! Bitcoin is one step closer to becoming a world currency

Payment21 and international payments firm ACI Worldwide announced this week a strategic partnership to help payment service providers (PSPs) offer merchants bitcoin payments that comply with anti-money laundering regulations.

56,000+ merchants now accept Bitcoin payments

Florida-based ACI Worldwide is a payment systems company that provides electronic payment services to more than 5,100 organizations worldwide, including more than 1,000 of the world's largest financial institutions and intermediaries.

Thousands of merchants around the world rely on ACI's systems to execute $14 trillion worth of payments and securities transactions every day. With a market capitalization of over $2.5 billion, Forbes ranked ACI #45 on its list of "America's Best Small Companies."

ACI announced on Wednesday:

“More than 130 payment service providers (PSPs) using the ACI system serve 56,000 merchants around the world, who can now accept Bitcoin payments.”

These payment service providers are currently offering credit and debit card payment capabilities to merchants around the world. According to the announcement, the partnership between ACI and Payment21 “will enable payment service providers and merchants to quickly and easily add Bitcoin payments to their payment pages without the need for additional integration.”

“The solution includes inbound bitcoin payments, providing real-time settlement capabilities around the world, which speeds up cash flow for merchants.”

ACI Vice President Andy McDonald explained that this solution will enable their payment service providers to “offer bitcoin payments that comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations while not exposing their merchants to bitcoin price volatility.”

Bitcoin transactions that comply with AML laws

Payment21 says it is committed to the “compliance needs of businesses and the legal prerequisites of their banking partners.” Its target customers are listed companies, licensed gaming companies, licensed wireless network providers, authorized investment funds and their banking partners.

Payment21’s brand owner, Moving Media Gmbh, is a registered financial intermediary with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The company is an American international sales organization based in Switzerland.

At the same time, the company’s systems also comply with global KYC regulations in European and international jurisdictions.

Bernhard Kaufmann, Managing Director of Payment21, said:

“This, combined with the lack of chargeback risk, makes Bitcoin payments an efficient payment solution for merchants who are looking to address the frictions associated with traditional payments, including delays and costs associated with cross-border payments.”

The company said:

“This AML-compliant approach makes Bitcoin a viable solution for public companies, licensed gaming companies, licensed wireless network providers, and authorized investment funds.”