Mastercard to Buy Stablecoin Firm BVNK for Up to $1.8 Billion as It Expands Crypto Payment Rails

Mastercard plans to acquire London-based stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK in a transaction valued at up to about $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. The deal, reported on a Tuesday by Bloomberg, deepens Mastercard's push into 24/7 crypto settlement rails, tokenized bank deposits, and stablecoin-based payments after an earlier $2 billion transaction between BVNK and Coinbase fell through. Mastercard's broader strategy and its March 11 industry initiative highlight how major payment networks are positioning stablecoins as core infrastructure for global value transfer.