Retail Giant Walmart Seeking to Hire Digital, Cryptocurrency Lead

Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer by total sales, is looking to hire a digital currency and cryptocurrency product lead.

• According to the retailer's careers page, the new role seeks to provide leadership with ways to identify technology and customer trends.
• Investments needed to build on those existing trends will also be advised by the Bentonville, Ark.-based crypto product lead.
• Part of the role's remit includes driving the retail giant's digital currency strategy.
• Identifying crypto-related partnerships and investments will also be part of the role.
• Two years ago, Walmart applied for a patent on a price-stable crypto similar to Facebook’s nascent project, then called Libra.
• Walmart has also experimented with distributed ledger technology for nonfinancial uses such as tracking drugs and food along the supply chain.
• Earlier this year, Walmart created a fintech unit called Hazel. The move signaled the big-box retailer has not lost its appetite for a piece of the consumer finance pie since its unsuccessful attempt to get a U.S. bank charter in the early 2000s.

Read more: Amazon Looks to Hire Blockchain Staffers With Experience of DeFi

UPDATE (Aug. 16, 2021, 00:43 UTC): Adds background on Walmart's related moves.