Mastercard is rolling out a new digital asset program that connects Binance, Circle and other major crypto firms to more than 150 million existing merchant locations. The initiative uses a private Multi-Token Network, stablecoins such as USDC, and a Crypto Credential system to simplify payments and is being joined by banks like JPMorgan Chase and Standard Chartered.

Mastercard has introduced a global Crypto Partner Program that brings together more than 85 companies across the digital asset ecosystem to work on blockchain-based payment solutions. The initiative focuses on integrating digital assets with Mastercard's existing payment infrastructure against the backdrop of a stablecoin market cap exceeding $314 billion in March 2026. Participants will explore use cases such as digital asset payments, settlement services, and cross-border transactions.

On 11 March 2026, Revolut announced it had secured a full banking license in the United Kingdom, allowing it to operate as a fully regulated bank. The license will let the company offer FSCS-protected bank accounts with eligible deposits insured up to £120,000 per person and expand its range of traditional banking products.

On 11 March 2026, Mastercard announced that its Crypto Partner Program now includes more than 85 companies from traditional finance and the blockchain sector, such as Binance, PayPal, Ripple, JPMorgan Chase, Coinbase, Stripe, and others. The initiative is built around a private Multi-Token Network that settles tokenized bank deposits and regulated stablecoins, connects over 176 million wallets, and supports spending at more than 150 million merchants amid monthly crypto volumes nearing $1 trillion.

On Wednesday, Mastercard launched a global Crypto Partner Program that brings together more than 85 crypto-native companies, payment providers, and financial institutions to collaborate on enterprise-focused digital asset products. The initiative involves firms such as Binance, Circle, Ripple, Gemini, PayPal, and Paxos, and builds on Mastercard's existing blockchain and crypto card infrastructure while expanding work on use cases like cross-border remittances, B2B transfers, payouts, and settlement.

On March 9, 2026, federal prosecutors asked a New York court to schedule a retrial for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm on money laundering and sanctions-related conspiracy counts after a jury deadlocked on these charges in August 2025. Storm, who was convicted only on a separate unlicensed money transmitter conspiracy count, says on social media that the remaining two counts could carry up to 40 years in prison and is seeking to raise $250,000 for his legal defense.

On 11 March 2026, UN agencies were reported to be testing more than 40 blockchain-based pilots to speed up humanitarian cash assistance and reduce reliance on traditional banking rails. The World Food Programme's Building Blocks platform has moved over $760 million to 6 million people, while other initiatives use USDC transfers, biometric verification, and a blockchain pension app, even as critics warn about "Blockchain In Name Only" projects and connectivity barriers.

In January, a proposal to hand control of Aave's brand assets and intellectual property to its DAO was rejected, raising fresh questions about the protocol's long-term governance model. Aave founder Stani Kulechov later argued that DAOs are hard to operate at scale and should reduce the scope of tokenholder voting while keeping transparent, on-chain accountability for leadership teams. His remarks followed controversy around the "Aave Will Win Framework" proposal, which led a major delegate to exit over concerns about governance standards and voting dynamics.