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How Digital Wallets Are Transforming Everyday Life?

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digital wallets

Discover how e-wallets have been changing our lives left and right and what the future holds when it comes to finance technological advancements.

The Influence of Digital Wallets on Everyday Life

Remember when we carried cash with us all the time? We thought cards made a revolution in the world of finance, but digital wallets have taken the game to the next level.

The days of moving money in our pockets around are long gone. Even if you want to have fun at your favorite online casino, you can do it in a pure Internet format. Platforms like Hit’n’spin allow you to play without ever having to leave your home or hassle about getting real money.

This is just one of the changes eWallets have brought into our lives, and below we’re exploring all the other aspects of this magnificent improvement.

What Is a Digital Wallet?

First and foremost, what should a “digital wallet” mean to one?

In its most simplified definition, it is a type of application or software on your phone or tablet, or even a computer that stores your payment information securely. It can store your credit cards, debit cards, and even loyalty cards, all in one place.

But these wallets are not just about paying. They’re increasingly becoming fully capable financial tools. You can store virtual tickets, boarding passes, gift cards, and in some, even cryptocurrency. The likes of Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, and Samsung Pay among others have led the charge, and now there are countless others jumping on board.

Convenience at Your Fingertips

Probably the biggest ways eWallets are changing everyday life revolve around pure convenience.

How many of us have stood in a line at the grocery store, struggling to find the right card, only to drop the wallet and spill coins everywhere? With a digital wallet, those days are over. Just tap your phone at checkout, and you’re good.

It’s quick, it’s easy, and you aren’t even concerned that you may have left your wallet at home because who forgets their phone?

And it is not only about in-store payments. Digital wallets make online shopping pretty easy, too. No more typing in your card details every time you want to buy something. Just select yours at checkout, confirm the purchase, and voilа – you are good to go! It’s like having your very own personal cashier who remembers all your details.

Your Money’s Safety – Peace of Mind

Now you are probably thinking: “Okay, but what about security?” After all, a wallet used to be something you kept close to you literally. The idea of storing all your financial info on a phone actually might sound quite risky. But here is the thing: digital wallets are often more secure than traditional ones.

First of all, eWallets adopt encryption and tokenization. What it means is that your actual card number is never pulled out and shared with the merchant every time you make a purchase. That being said, it is swapped out for a unique token, one that is used in the purchase and quite meaningless to anyone who may steal it.

In addition, most wallets require some type of authentication, like fingerprint or facial recognition capability, or a PIN, before they will let you make any sort of payment.

Think of it like this: the wallet thief has all they need to begin his shopping spree on you; the cell phone thief, though, has a tough time getting his hands on your money due to these extra layers of security.

Managing Your Finances

Digital wallets help you manage your money smarter, rather than simply spend it.

Many of them already have built-in budgeting tools whereby spending is tracked; they can even go as far as to categorize purchases so you see exactly where the money goes. On top of that, it can warn you if you’re overspending in some areas.

And then, of course, there’s the issue of peer-to-peer. The likes of Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App have made it so easy to split bills, pay your friend back for dinner, or even send it as a gift.

No need for any more awkward “I’ll pay you back” moments or dealing with having cash, which nobody seems to carry anymore. You can send money instantly from a phone number and/or email address quite often.

The Future of Digital Wallets?

So, what does the future hold for digital wallets? Well, they can only keep burrowing deeper into our lives. We’re already seeing an increase in further uses in areas, such as digital IDs and even, in some locales, a driver’s license.

Can you envision not carrying any cards at all since your phone does it all?

The same potentially applies to digital wallets that become central with a wide selection of cryptocurrencies. As internet forms of money begin to create some traction, a secure, accessible means of storage and portability is viewed as a central factor in management and spending.

And as technology keeps on upgrading, so will it ensure that these wallets take space in human life. With that in mind, if you haven’t joined the digital wallet trend, this may be the perfect time. After all, who does not want to make life a little easier?

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Economy

Geo-Fluids, Afriland Properties Lift NASD Bourse by 0.13%

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shareholders of Afriland Properties

By Adedapo Adesanya

The duo of Geo-Fluids Plc and Afriland Properties Plc propelled the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange up 0.13 per cent on Friday, January 10.

Investors gained N1.4 billion during the trading session after the market capitalisation of the bourse ended at N1.053 trillion compared with the previous day’s N1.052 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) increased at the close of business by 4.07 points to wrap the session at 3,073.93 points compared with 3,069.86 points recorded at the previous session.

Geo-Fluids added 25 Kobo to its value to close at N4.85 per unit compared with the previous session’s N4.60 per unit, and Afriland Properties Plc gained 24 Kobo to close at N16.25 per share versus Thursday’s closing price of N16.01 per share.

There was a 35.4 per cent fall in the volume of securities traded in the session as investors exchanged 4.3 million units compared to 6.6 million units traded in the preceding session, the value of shares traded yesterday went down by 37.4 per cent to N17.2 million from the N27.5 million recorded a day earlier, and the number of deals decreased by 47.2 per cent to 19 deals from the 36 deals recorded in the preceding day.

FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 1.9 million units worth N74.2 million, followed by 11 Plc with 12,963 units valued at N3.2 million, and Industrial and General Insurance  (IGI )Plc with 10.7 million units sold for N2.1 million.

IGI Plc closed the day as the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 10.6 million units sold for N2.1 million, trailed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 1.9 million units valued at N74.2 million, and Acorn Petroleum Plc with 1.2 million units worth N1.9 million.

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Economy

Naira Depreciates to N1,543/$1 at Official Market

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Naira-Yuan Currency Swap Deal

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Naira witnessed a depreciation on the US Dollar at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on Friday, January 10.

According to data from the FMDQ Exchange, the local currency weakened against the greenback yesterday by 0.12 per cent or N1.80 to sell for N1,543.03/$1 compared with the preceding day’s N1,541.23/$1.

The pressure on the domestic currency came as the access granted to the Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to purchase FX from the official market through the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) platform prepares to end next week, precisely on January 19.

The CBN had given a 42-day window to the operators to access the platform to help stabilise the Naira in December, and this expires next week.

On Friday, the Nigerian currency tumbled against the Pound Sterling in the official market by N30.78 to sell for N1,889.29/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,858.51/£1, but gained N5.48 against the Euro to finish at N1,583.81/€1, in contrast to Thursday’s rate of N1,589.29/€1.

As for the parallel market, the Nigerian Naira remained stable against the US Dollar during the trading session at N1,650/$1, according to data obtained by Business Post.

In the cryptocurrency market, it was bearish as the US economy added 256,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday, topping forecasts for 160,000 and up from 212,000 in November (revised from an originally reported 227,000).

However, the readings came after a number of recent economic reports triggered a broad-market pullback across asset classes such as crypto as investors quickly scaled back the idea of a continued series of Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025.

Cardano (ADA) fell by 3.6 per cent to trade at $0.921, Solana (SOL) slumped by 2.8 per cent to $185.93, Ethereum (ETH) depreciated by 1.4 per cent to $3,233.27, Litecoin (LTC) lost 1.3 per cent to finish at $103.62, Dogecoin (DOGE) shed 0.5 per cent to sell at $0.3315, Bitcoin (BTC), waned by 0.2 per cent to $94,154.43, and Binance Coin (BNB) went south by 0.1  per cent to $693.30.

On the flip side, Ripple (XRP) jumped by 1.5 per cent to settle at $2.34, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) sold flat at $1.00 each.

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Economy

Customs Street Crumbles by 0.08% as Profit-Takers Take Charge

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Customs Street

By Dipo Olowookere

Profit-takers took control of Customs Street on Friday, plunging it by 0.08 per cent at the close of trading activities.

The sell-offs were across all the key sectors of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on last trading session of the week.

The insurance space went down by 1.53 per cent, the banking index depreciated by 0.41 per cent, the consumer goods sector weakened by 0.16 per cent, and the energy counter slumped by 0.08 per cent, while the industrial goods sector closed flat.

At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) tumbled by 79.68 points to 105,451.06 points from 105,530.74 points and the market capitalisation retreated by N48 billion to N64.303 trillion from N64.351 trillion.

Yesterday, investors traded 1.5 billion shares worth N19.4 billion in 12,877 deals compared with the 489.5 million shares worth N13.1 billion transacted in 13,010 deals in the preceding day, indicating a decline in the number of deals by 1.02 deals and a rise in the trading volume and value by 203.14 per cent and 48.09 per cent, respectively.

Wema Bank was the busiest stock with 976.2 million units valued at N9.8 billion, Tantalizers traded 53.0 million units worth 129.6 million, Universal Insurance sold 34.8 million units for N26.8 million, Access Holdings exchanged 33.9 million units valued at N843.8 million, and Nigerian Breweries traded 27.3 million units worth N873.3 million.

The heaviest loss was suffered by Sunu Assurances with a decline of 9.99 per cent to trade at N7.30, Eunisell shed 9.96 per cent to N17.35, SAHCO crumbled by 9.87 per cent to N30.15, DAAR Communications plunged by 9.28 per cent to 88 Kobo, and Sovereign Trust Insurance went down by 7.04 per cent to N1.32.

On the flip side, C&I Leasing gained 10.00 per cent to close at N4.51, Honeywell Flour appreciated by 9.99 per cent to N10.02, Trans Nationwide Express jumped by 9.89 per cent to N2.00, RT Briscoe rose by 9.83 per cent to N2.57, and Secure Electronic Technology grew by 9.46 per cent to 81 Kobo.

Business Post reports that the bourse ended with 33 price gainers and 25 price losers, indicating a positive market breadth index and strong investor sentiment.

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