Digital commerce stories

The x402 protocol revives HTTP 402, enabling AI agents to make instant micropayments autonomously using crypto, transforming digital commerce in 2025.

IDHL has acquired Vervaunt, adding over 70 experts and investing GBP £1.5 million in AI to boost eCommerce and digital marketing capabilities.

Friendly fraud is set to rise by 25% over the peak holiday shopping days, with transactions averaging USD $291, costing retailers billions globally.

Prezzee launches PrezzeePay, enabling retailers worldwide to offer unified digital gift cards without costly system changes, targeting cashless Gen Z shoppers.

Fanclip launches in Southeast Asia to unify the region's USD $55 billion creator market with a platform for creators, brands, agencies, and buyers.

Babeltext enables Shopify merchants to communicate in 195 languages via AI-powered messaging, easing global sales and boosting customer confidence.

AI-powered search is transforming retail, but 85% of Australian retailers are unprepared, risking visibility and growth as AI reshapes online shopping by 2026.

Salesforce launches Agentforce Commerce, a platform enabling retailers to sell via AI-driven channels like ChatGPT, boosting engagement and orders globally.

CoinPayments has returned to the US, offering a platform that processed over USD $50bn globally to ease crypto payments for merchants and consumers.

AppsFlyer launches Modern Marketing Cloud, an AI-powered platform with eight new tools boosting mobile-first app marketing across Southeast Asia.

Ecommpay has won Best Alternative Payment Provider at the Payments Awards, praised for offering 100+ payment methods across Europe and Asia.

By 2026, AI and advanced retail media will revolutionise UK shopping, with brands like John Lewis and Ocado leading a shift towards smarter, personalised consumer engagement.

A Cloudflare outage disrupted major online services worldwide, revealing how fragile the global digital economy and payments infrastructure have become.

Zurich-based AI company Albatross has raised USD $12.5 million to develop a real-time platform revolutionising online product and content discovery.

Pattern has named Luke Elliott as VP of Ecommerce Europe to boost growth and marketplace strategy for its European clients.

By 2026, AI and tax intelligence will revolutionise business compliance, driving real-time reporting and transforming finance, trade, retail, and hospitality sectors globally.

Singapore firms have reached USD $1.6 billion in global PayPal sales, driven by exports in gaming, fashion, and beauty sectors to markets like the US and Mexico.

Australian startup Heatseeker won top prize in L'Oréal's Big Bang Beauty Tech competition, advancing AI beauty tech across the South Asia Pacific region.

ECI launches an AI Agent within its EvolutionX platform to help eCommerce merchants streamline operations, boost revenue, and improve fraud detection in real time.

Euromonitor forecasts rising demand for comfort, authentic self-expression, cutting-edge wellness, and greater East Asian brand influence by 2026 amid global shifts.