Mastercard announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK in a deal valued at up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
The acquisition is designed to expand Mastercard’s capabilities in digital assets and enable greater interoperability between traditional fiat payment systems and blockchain-based networks. By integrating BVNK’s infrastructure, Mastercard aims to support a broader range of payment use cases, including cross-border remittances, payouts, peer-to-peer transactions, and business-to-business payments.
BVNK, founded in 2021, has built a platform that allows enterprises to send and receive payments across major blockchain networks in more than 130 countries. Its technology focuses on bridging fiat currencies and stablecoins, enabling faster and more programmable money movement.
Mastercard said the deal aligns with its broader strategy to support digital currencies, tokenized deposits, and tokenized assets. The company highlighted the growing demand from financial institutions and fintechs to offer stablecoin-enabled payment options, as regulatory clarity improves across multiple markets.
The combined capabilities of Mastercard and BVNK are expected to deliver a digital asset-agnostic infrastructure, allowing customers to access multiple blockchain networks without being locked into a single ecosystem. Mastercard also emphasized that integrating on-chain payment rails into its network will enhance speed, programmability, and flexibility across its global payments ecosystem.
The company noted that digital asset payment use cases are rapidly scaling, with volumes reaching at least $350 billion in 2025, signaling increasing adoption despite the technology still being in its early stages.
The acquisition builds on Mastercard’s ongoing investments in digital asset innovation, including initiatives such as its Crypto Partner Program, aimed at fostering collaboration across the payments and blockchain ecosystem.
KEY QUOTES:
“We expect that most financial institutions and fintechs will in time provide digital currency services, be it with stablecoins or tokenized deposits. We want to support them and their customers with a best in class, highly compliant, interoperable offering that brings the benefits of tokenized money to the real world. This acquisition reinforces what we have always done, using innovation and technology to power economies and empower people. Adding on-chain rails to our network will support speed and programmability for virtually every type of transaction.”
Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer, Mastercard
“For all of the advancements made in simplifying the digital currency opportunity, we have only scratched the surface of what’s possible. This deal brings together complementary capabilities to define and deliver the future of money. Together, we’re able to deliver an unprecedented infrastructure for digital currency-based financial services.”
Jesse Hemson-Struthers, Co-Founder and CEO, BVNK
