Mastercard and BVNK are planning an acquisition deal that will incorporate BVNK’s stablecoin infrastructure into Mastercard’s payment system. The deal would allows MasterCard to offer banks and fintechs the tools to offer stablecoin and tokenized deposit services to their customers.
The acquisition is valued at $1.8 billion, including $300 million in payments tied to performance targets. However, the deal is still awaiting regulatory approval and is expected to close before the end of 2026.
The acquisition is part of Mastercard’s strategies to accelerate its entry into stablecoin payments rather than building its own infrastructure from scratch. Because building similar infrastructure internally would take significant time.
However, BVNK already operating across over 130 countries around the world and has connected fiat payments with major blockchain networks, including Worldpay, Deel, and Flywire. In addition to that, the company already has regulatory licenses in multiple jurisdictions, giving MasterCard a ready-made global payment infrastructure.
Mastercard is acquiring the stablecoin company for the purpose of leveraging the platform to enable banks and fintech companies to provide stablecoin and tokenized deposit services to their customers. The initial focus will be on areas such as cross-border remittances, peer-to-peer transfers (P2P), and business-to-business (B2B) payments.
Over time, the combined entity also expects to expand into applications within capital markets and treasury management.
Beyond expansion, MasterCard is using this acquisition to stay competitive in the market that hit $350 billion in 2025, according to Boston Consulting Group. The acquisition places MasterCard in direct competition with Visa and crypto firms like Coinbase in the stablecoin race.
Notably, Coinbase had previously tried (and failed) to acquire BVNK. Mastercard also explored other targets like Zerohash before choosing BVNK. According to Mastercard’s Chief Product Officer Jorn Lambert, adding on-chain rails to the company's network will support speed and programmability for virtually every type of transaction.
The deal is part of a shift toward blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Stablecoins are becoming mainstream tools for banks and fintechs because it enable faster payments, lower costs, and 24/7 settlement, making it useful for cross-border remittances and business payments and payouts. This is why traditional payment giants cannot risks being left behind if it doesn’t adapt.
Because blockchain-based systems are bypassing traditional card networks—which are mostly payment intermediaries, MasterCard is trying to maintain its role in the payments ecosystem.
Built in 2021, BVNK is a very young company. The company has attracted investors like Visa Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Tiger Global. These backers make the acquisition deal valuable, justified, and interesting. According the the BVNK CEO, the deal would create digital currency infrastructure that neither company could achieve on its own.
