Mastercard Eyes Major Acquisition in Stablecoin Sector
- Mastercard is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire stablecoin infrastructure firm Zerohash for $1.5 billion to $2 billion.
- This acquisition would surpass Stripe’s $1.1 billion purchase of stablecoin startup Bridge last year.
- Stablecoin market capitalization has increased by approximately $100 billion this year, reaching over $312 billion.
- Zerohash recently closed a $104 million funding round at a valuation of $1 billion, with investments from Morgan Stanley and Jump Crypto.
- Morgan Stanley partnered with Zerohash to enable E*Trade customers to trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.
The potential acquisition by Mastercard reflects the growing interest in the stablecoin sector, as traditional finance firms seek faster and cheaper transaction methods enabled by digital currencies. The deal would position Mastercard ahead of competitors like Stripe in the stablecoin market.
With the stablecoin market cap surging past $312 billion this year, Mastercard’s move to acquire Zerohash highlights its strategic focus on expanding digital finance capabilities amidst increasing demand for efficient transaction solutions. (Source)
