Mastercard in talks to acquire ZeroHash
Over the years here on InLeo we have reported on the moves Mastercard has made in it's move to invest in the Cryptocurrency space and purchase new technology to ensure it remains at the forefront of the emerging Fintech sector.
Being a leading Financial Service it's business model highly revolves around providing services and supports that their customer base wants and needs. It's moves into the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) world have been mostly in shadows but often enough news is reported that enables us a snapshot of what it is that is happening behind their closed doors.
Today's news is no different to much of their work in the past, except they now appear to be more aggressive in their moves, this might be due to the easing of financial regulatory agencies since Trump took office and it's enabling many major companies to move into the Crypto space.
Recent news has emerged that Mastercard is in talks to acquire Zerohash a Stablecoin tech firm for around US2 Billion.
Let's take a look at what has been reported so far.
The Race To Acquire Stablecoins
Over this past year many global payment companies have rushed to integrate stablecoins which are cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional assets like the U.S. dollar into their systems. Stablecoins had a rough start but have become a core element of the decentralised world by providing faster, cheaper and more secure transactions compared to traditional methods such as SWIFT transfers or card payment networks. Mastercard, alongside rivals like Stripe and Coinbase have been positioning themselves to be global leaders in the stablecoin and global payment system.
The current total market cap for Stablecoins is over USD 310 Billion with some expecting the sector to continue to grow and hit USD 750 Billion in 2026 now that many nations have loosened restrictions and enabling growth in the sector.
Mastercards move show's the company is willing to diversify into the sector while it's competitors are also making moves to ensure they are at the forefront of the growing FinTech sector. Mastercard already has deals with Crypto.com, OKX and Kraken to enable on and off ramps for fiat currencies. So the company is no stranger to the decentralised world and remaining active and acquiring businesses ensures it retains it's leadership.
What Is ZeroHash?
Established in 2017 Zerohash is not a consumer facing exchange but a B2B infrastructure provider that powers the backend of crypto transactions for major financial institutions. Its technology enables services like crypto trading, custody, staking and tokenization. For traditional finance companies this is a great way to plug into the blockchain sector.
Zerohash’s clients include Interactive Brokers, Franklin Templeton, Stripe and BlackRock’s BUIDL Fund and a lot more that can be found on their official website. Most recently, the company announced a partnership with Morgan Stanley and allowing the bank’s E*Trade customers to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana directly through its platform beginning in 2026.
Recently in September Zerohash raised USD 104 million in a Series D-2 funding round valuing it at over USd1 billion. The round was led by Interactive Brokers and included major players such as Morgan Stanley, SoFi and Jump Crypto.
The company’s CEO, Edward Woodford, has long emphasized the importance of infrastructure in the digital asset ecosystem. “Morgan Stanley’s strategic stake in Zerohash underscores the critical role infrastructure plays in digital finance,” he said earlier this year.
The Stablecoin Gold Rush
Mastercard’s bid for Zerohash comes amid an industry wide land grab for stablecoin expertise. Earlier this month, reports surfaced that both Mastercard and Coinbase were in late stage talks to acquire BVNK, another stablecoin startup for around $USD2.5 billion. Coinbase has since entered an exclusivity agreement with BVNK effectively taking Mastercard out of that race.
Each of these deals underscores a simple truth: financial giants now see stablecoins not as a threat, but as the next frontier of payments. Blockchain settlement can eliminate cross-border friction, slash costs and enable near instantaneous global transfers appealing not just to crypto enthusiasts, but to banks, retailers and payroll providers.
So it looks like the major firms are all moving into the Stablecoin space and this will drive blockchain payments well into the future.
image sources provided supplemented by Canva pro subscription. This is not financial advice and readers are advised to undertake their own research or seek professional financial services.