The new platform will enable devices with stored value exchanged from cryptocurrency to be used for traditional payment transactions.

"As cryptocurrencies increase in value and distribution, the need to create new methods to monetize their value and enabling models for acceptance is the critical last mile," said Michael Orlando, COO of NXT-ID and President of Fit Pay, Inc. "Our development effort with Cascade seeks to connect cryptocurrencies to the payment ecosystem as a natural extension of FitPay's platform. It will give cryptocurrency holders the opportunity to effortlessly use their value to make purchases every day, just as they would use a credit or debit card, and transform the way people pay."

Under the agreement, which is an extension of a current relationship between FitPay and Cascade, the two companies will collaborate to create a platform that seamlessly transfers cryptocurrency value into widely accepted forms of payment and stores that value on devices capable of making contactless payments. This will give cryptocurrency holders the ability to make transactions with value derived from cryptocurrency at any near field communication-enabled point of sale terminals.

"Cryptocurrencies are becoming a more common way of storing and transferring value, so there is a tremendous need to enable that value to be used to purchase goods and services," said Cascade FinTech Founder and Chief Executive Officer Spencer Schmerling. "Our collaboration with FitPay will create a platform that does just that - connecting cryptocurrency to the mainstream economy in a whole new way."

"As a security technology company, our mission to protect users, data and transmissions is very relevant to the emergence of cryptocurrencies and blockchain in general," Gino Pereira CEO of NXT-ID said. "As such, we are working on ways that we can add value to this emerging space and this partnership is the first of anticipated future offerings from the company."

FitPay and Cascade FinTech previously entered into an agreement to provide prepaid capabilities on wearable devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to the FitPay Payment PlatformTM. The prepaid, or general purpose reloadable (GPR), option gives consumers with FitPay's contactless payment-enabled devices the convenience of storing funds directly on their device. Under the previous agreement, the FitPay Platform connects to the Cascade CloudTM to enable contactless payment GPR devices in a variety of form factors.

The expansion of the agreement will seek to extend similar capabilities with value derived from cryptocurrencies. The joint development of the cryptocurrency platform by FitPay and Cascade FinTech is expected to be launched in early 2018. Once launched, the platform will create opportunities for recurring revenue from account and transaction fees.