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.

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