Maybe it's European banking regulations and laws that are the reason for a) the current sad state of affairs and b) the inability for Google and others to enter

Maybe it's European banking regulations and laws that are the reason for a) the current sad state of affairs and b) the inability for Google and others to enter the marketplace? I don't know much about the situation, but given the size of the market, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's getting in the way. The fact that there's such trouble in handling something as fundamental as getting payments from customers really imposes a significant impedance on tech startups in the region. I can see why some Euro companies are compelled to relocate when they want to seek significant, unimpeded growth. We techies live in a borderless world, but alas, the rest of the world doesn't. Sigh.