Violet Vallaya
Elon Musk’s vision for X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, is taking a surprising turn. Leaked documents obtained by Bloomberg reveal plans for a new in-app payment system, “X Payments,” that will integrate with the platform but excludes cryptocurrency functionality.
The leaked documents, comprising 350 pages of emails and money transmitter license applications submitted to regulators in eleven states, paint a clear picture of X’s ambitions. The platform is actively seeking licenses to operate as a money transmitter, a crucial step for facilitating peer-to-peer payments within the app. However, buried deep within the paperwork lies a crucial detail: X has no current plans to support cryptocurrency storage or transactions.
This decision comes as a surprise considering Musk’s past association with cryptocurrency. As the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, he has been a vocal supporter of digital assets like Bitcoin. His tweets have been known to move crypto markets, and many expected him to leverage X’s massive user base to further integrate crypto into mainstream finance.
While the reasons behind this exclusion remain undisclosed, speculation abounds. Regulatory hurdles are a significant concern. The cryptocurrency market faces a complex regulatory landscape, with different jurisdictions adopting varying approaches. Navigating this intricate web could be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor for X, especially considering its desire for a global user base.
This isn’t the first time social media giants have dipped their toes into the crypto pool, only to encounter regulatory roadblocks. In 2019, Facebook announced its ambitious Diem stablecoin project, aiming to create a cryptocurrency pegged to a basket of fiat currencies. However, the initiative faced intense scrutiny from regulators worldwide, ultimately leading to its abandonment in 2021.
The true impact of X Payments remains to be seen. Whether it disrupts the peer-to-peer payment market or becomes another footnote in Musk’s ambitious ventures is yet to be determined. Despite that, the lack of crypto integration has sparked a conversation about the future of digital currencies and their potential role in mainstream financial services.
