Quote from Ndubuisi Ekekwe on June 22, 2019, 5:50 PM

This is one thing everyone expects Facebook Libra to fix: micropayments.

It’s a problem that’s long flummoxed media outlets, and also one that’s increasingly frustrating consumers: The inability to pay a small sum, such as 25 cents or $1, to read an article online.

Yet a breakthrough could be near, as big web platforms like Facebook and Kik are building technology that could mean a new revenue stream for news outlets and an alternative to consumers having to hand over their credit card information to read a single story.

Before explaining how Facebook could finally crack the problem of so-called “micropayments,” it’s worth noting this issue has been around almost as long as the web has.