eNews
Mattel inks multi-year deal with OnChain Studios’ Cryptoys NFT platform
Mumbai: OnChain Studios has announced a multi-year global partnership with toy maker Mattel for its Crptoys NFT platform.
The partnership will give rise to a new generation of digital toys that exist on the blockchain. It will bring Mattel’s iconic brands into a collectible, interactive world through Cryptoy’s expansive and playable universe. Cryptoys are animated, playable collectibles.
“Mattel shares our deep passion and innovative mindset for creating the future of play for the next generation. Playable and interactive NFTs will be the first foray into Web3 and blockchain for millions of people, and we want Cryptoys to be the on-ramp that makes it fun and easy for everyone to collect and play,” said OnChain Studios CEO and co-founder Will Weinraub.
“As owners of one of the largest portfolios of children and family entertainment franchises in the world, and as the first toy company to launch NFTs, we see incredible opportunity in the Metaverse for our cherished brands and iconic IP,” said Mattel president and COO Richard Dickson. “Mattel is continually stretching and scaling our brands to find the bridges between traditional toys and what’s next. We are excited to be expanding in this fast-growing space and to be the only toy company partner on the Cryptoys platform, giving fans of all ages new ways to be inspired by the Mattel brands they love.”
Cryptoys’ summer 2022 launch will feature original character drops, followed by the first of many Mattel drops, including some of the company’s brands and characters.
eNews
PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
