Mastercard (NYSE:MA) is poised to strengthen its position in the digital asset ecosystem with the acquisition of ZeroHash, a cryptocurrency and stablecoin infrastructure startup valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. According to Fortune sources , the payments giant is in advanced negotiations with the startup and, if the deal goes through, could become a leader in the tokenization market.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Chicago, ZeroHash provides technology and regulatory infrastructure that enables banks, fintechs, and brokerages to launch cryptocurrency and stablecoin trading services. The company has attracted financial giants Morgan Stanley, SoFi, and Interactive Brokers, which led its $104 million Series D funding round.
The deal comes as Mastercard attempts to dominate the stablecoin segment, following failed attempts to buy the London-based startup BVNK, valued at around US$2 billion, which ended up being exclusively acquired by Coinbase.
Mastercard has been active in this space for years, partnering with exchanges like Binance, Gemini, OKX, and collaborating with Circle in the Global Dollar consortium.
In recent months, the digital payments sector has become a battleground for giants. Visa announced plans to support stablecoins on new blockchains, while Stripe expanded its presence by acquiring Bridge, a blockchain infrastructure company, for $1.1 billion.
ZeroHash managed over $2 billion in tokenized fund flows in the first four months of 2025. It provides the on-chain technology for major asset managers such as BlackRock’s BUIDL and Franklin Templeton’s BENJI Token.
Mastercard could benefit from acquiring ZeroHash with an opportunity to reduce costs, accelerate settlements, and integrate stablecoins into global payment flows. Institutional adoption and regulatory advancements in the US and Europe are driving the migration of transactions to blockchains.
According to projections by Keyrock and Bitso, the global volume of stablecoin payments could exceed US$1 trillion by 2030, driven by the trend of gradually replacing traditional banking systems with tokenized and more agile solutions.