Chainlink, a company that provides a decentralized oracle network, has partnered with payments provider Mastercard to allow the credit card company’s three billion cardholders to buy crypto onchain. The integration could spur crypto adoption by providing a new avenue for people without Web3 exposure to gain experience with digital assets.
The integration is made possible through a series of partnerships with Web3 entities, including Shift4 Payments, Swapper Finance, XSwap and ZeroHash, a crypto and stablecoins infrastructure company that will provide the onchain service and liquidity enabling customers to convert fiat currency to crypto.
“The current version of the application available at Swapper Finance is non-custodial and leverages account abstraction to provide users with simplicity and control,” a Chainlink Labs spokesperson told Cointelegraph. “It was important that this solution was built for everyone, not just for crypto-natives or enthusiasts.”
Mastercard has embraced crypto in 2024 and 2025, mostly through the issuance of cards that allow users to spend cryptocurrency at merchants in different countries. In April, it announced a partnership with Kraken to launch crypto debit cards across the UK and Europe, and it joined MetaMask to debut a self-custody crypto card. In February, the company said it had tokenized 30% of its 2024 transactions.
Related: Mastercard enables non-custodial crypto spending in new partnership
Mastercard competitor also in crypto fray
Mastercard’s main competitor, Visa, has also been active on the crypto front. In October 2024, it partnered with Coinbase to allow some of the exchange’s users to instantly withdraw and deposit crypto. In addition, it has debuted a Web3 digital asset platform and invested in stablecoin payment platform BVNK.
Buying crypto with fiat currency can be fraught with difficulties, especially for people unfamiliar with the technology. This friction can hinder the adoption of cryptocurrency and the progress of the industry.
However, people want to connect with digital asset systems, according to Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s executive vice president for blockchain and digital assets projects and partnerships.
“There’s no doubt about it — people want to be able to easily connect to the digital assets ecosystem, and vice versa,” Dhamodharan said.
Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins
