The vision of augmented reality (AR) headsets replacing smartphones could become a reality sooner than expected in China.

The vision of augmented reality (AR) headsets replacing smartphones could become a reality sooner than expected in China. Advances in hardware and new AR commerce use cases are paving the way.

Single’s Day—China’s annual shopping extravaganza in November—is the world’s biggest shopping event, with an estimated RMB 965.1 billion ($139.83 billion) in sales in 2021, according to the China e-Business Research Center. It is also changing the way consumers shop by showcasing new retail concepts such as the metaverse, nonfungible tokens, sustainability, and agile commerce.

China mounts ambitious effort to regulate AI: Initiatives to scrutinize and regulate algorithms could spare Chinese consumers from discriminatory algorithms in the short term but could stagnate innovation in the long term.

Chinese startups defied growing government regulation in 2021: Record investments point to strong momentum and confidence in tech and innovation.

China continues to lead the world in all things ecommerce, including innovation. Social commerce livestreaming is just one of many new stories for 2021 and beyond.

An Ethereum expert was given a prison sentence for helping North Korea use cryptos to evade US sanctions.

Payments are set to break physical and digital borders in 2022. Innovations will make payments accessible across regions; super apps will address consumers’ financial needs all in one place; and lending will extend credit to once-inaccessible segments.

Companies in several markets are offering crypto products that act like bank accounts, and regulators have taken notice.

Read the latest stories from Insider Intelligence about artificial intelligence in social media.

Citigroup said in Q1 2021 that it would withdraw from consumer operations in 13 markets in Europe and Asia, including in Australia and India. CFO Mark Mason said it planned to “execute a targeted consumer strategy, double down in wealth, and focus on our higher-returning institutional businesses.”.

Sony to buy Bungie for $3.6B in latest gaming mega-deal: Acquisition looks to be a long-term play to secure future exclusives, but consolidation could stifle future innovation.

China’s tech giants are racing to own the technology of the metaverse: Tencent, Baidu, Oppo, and Huawei are beating US counterparts to the AR/VR patent punch.

Article: Innovation in Asia: NFTs deserve a nuanced view from brands in China.

China has proven to be a hotbed for digital innovations, especially in the past few years. During this time, marketers worldwide have observed the latest trends coming out of the country, applying what they learn to their own markets.

2020 was a tumultuous year to say the least, but as the adage goes, in crisis there is opportunity. This idea is literally embedded in the Chinese word for “crisis” (危机): Its second character means opportunity. China’s populace appeared to have embodied that spirit. In a challenging year, entrepreneurs and regulators alike worked together to steady the ship and found ways to restore some normalcy through resilience, digital innovations, and timely policies.

It hopes encouraging digital payments use will help support tourism and drive innovation within the country’s financial sector. Worldline’s opportunity: Moving into Japan as the market becomes more cashless can position Worldline for strong growth in the coming years.

The logic behind it: We expected softPOS innovation in foreign markets like India would foreshadow similar products in the US, especially since last year, 1 in 5 small businesses did not accept digital payments, per a Visual Objects survey.