Shift, the card that allows US Coinbase user to spend BTC using a Visa card, is ceasing operations in April. Meanwhile, the Tronipay crypto card is just launching.
According to an email said to be from Shift customer service posted to Reddit on 18th February, the debit card that allows US Coinbase users to spend their BTC using a Visa card is ceasing operations.
Though no reason was giving for the closure, since launching in November 2015 Shift has reportedly struggled with finding a significant userbase, and cards will be deactivated on 11th April 2019.
At this point is does genuinely seem like the card is winding up due to lack of demand, rather than any crisis, as the exchange itself is continuing to add to its services, such as the recent addition of the option for wallet users to store their private keys on Google Drive or iCloud.
Staying with crypto-capable cards, the Tronipay UnionPay-MasterCard prepaid card has just launched. The card, which the company claims can be delivered anywhere in the world, can be charged with cryptocurrency and used anywhere in that displays the UnionPay or MasterCard logos.
China-based UnionPay network cards are accepted in 162 countries and regions, making it the third largest card network in the world after Visa and MasterCard, and through an agreement with US-based MasterCard, the Tronipay card can be accepted almost anywhere.
According to a statement Tronipay estimates it will issue more than 2 million of the new cards within the next 3 months.
