Mastercard launches cryptocurrency partnership program, with giants like Binance and PayPal included

Global payments giant Mastercard announces the launch of the “Cryptocurrency Partnership Program,” bringing together over 85 crypto companies, fintech firms, and financial institutions, including Binance, Ripple, Circle, and PayPal. The initiative aims to explore the integration of blockchain technology with existing payment networks, focusing on practical applications such as cross-border remittances, corporate payments, and global settlements, to drive traditional payment systems toward digital asset infrastructure.

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Mastercard launches global crypto partner program with 85 companies

Recently, Mastercard announced the launch of the “Crypto Partner Program,” a worldwide collaboration gathering over 85 native crypto enterprises, payment service providers, and financial institutions. The goal is to promote blockchain technology applications in real-world finance scenarios. Participating companies include crypto exchanges, infrastructure developers, fintech firms, and banks, such as Binance, Ripple, Circle, Gemini, PayPal, and Paxos.

The company states that the program will create a collaborative platform enabling industry participants to co-develop cutting-edge payment products and explore how to integrate blockchain technology with global payment networks. Mastercard believes that the next phase of on-chain payments depends on industry cooperation, combining traditional financial infrastructure with digital asset technology to enhance payment efficiency and scalability.

Focusing on cross-border remittances and corporate payments, linking global on-chain tools

Mastercard announced that the program mainly targets enterprise-level applications, including cross-border remittances, business-to-business payments, global collections and disbursements, and transaction settlement. These areas are seen as some of the most promising use cases for blockchain technology.

The company highlights that digital assets, with features like real-time settlement and programmability, could accelerate fund flows and reduce friction in cross-border transactions when integrated with existing card payment networks. Through this initiative, partners will work with Mastercard to explore how to connect on-chain payment tools with the existing payment infrastructure used by banks, merchants, and consumers.

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From acquisitions to collaborations, Mastercard accelerates blockchain integration

This initiative is also viewed as a key step in Mastercard’s ongoing expansion into digital assets. Over the past few years, the company has deepened its ties with the crypto industry through various partnerships and infrastructure developments. For example, it established the Start Path blockchain accelerator to support startups and launched the Engage platform to help providers issue crypto payment cards.

In October 2025, Mastercard acquired stablecoin infrastructure provider Zerohash to fill gaps in on-chain settlement and tokenization technology. It also joined the stablecoin alliance formed by companies like Robinhood and Kraken, strengthening its influence in payments and capital flow.

Traditional payment networks and blockchain accelerate integration

Mastercard states that its payment network currently connects banks, merchants, and consumers in over 200 countries and regions worldwide. For blockchain payments to achieve large-scale adoption, integration with these global financial infrastructures is essential.

In this context, the “Crypto Partnership Program” serves as a bridge, aiming to establish a collaborative framework between blockchain innovation and traditional payment systems, pushing the global payments industry toward a new phase of digital asset and traditional finance convergence.

This article on Mastercard’s crypto partnership program, with Binance and PayPal among the key players, first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.