Why Are International Payments Lightyears Ahead of the U.S.?

Summary: Take a trip through Bangalore, Singapore and Dubai – and you’ll likely never need physical currency. So why isn’t that the case here in the U.S.?​​ ​In this blog post, Ryan Veenstra, Velera’s VP, Architecture & Tech Strategy, talks about his experience on a recent international business trip where payments are digital by default - which sparked some observations about our own payment habits.

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Ryan Veenstra: As Velera’s VP, Architecture & Tech Strategy, Ryan Veenstra leads the company’s Enterprise, Data, Platform and AI, Solution Architecture and Release Engineering teams. With deep experience in financial technology, he drives the company’s tech strategy while enabling teams to deliver scalable, secure solutions that align with business priorities and meet strict compliance standards. His work emphasizes reusability, modernization, and governance—empowering teams to innovate confidently and deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.

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