Mastercard to acquire BVNK for $1.8B to expand stablecoin payments

Mastercard Inc., an international payment card services corporation, has agreed to acquire BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure company, for up to $1.8 billion. The deal includes $300 million in payments tied to performance targets.

BVNK, founded in 2021, builds the technology that connects stablecoin payments to traditional banking systems. Its platform processes payments across 130+ countries on all major blockchain networks. Clients include Worldpay, Deel, and Flywire.

The deal gives Mastercard the tools to help banks and fintechs offer stablecoin and tokenized deposit services to their customers. Target use cases include cross-border remittances, P2P transfers, and B2B payments. Longer term, the combined company sees potential in capital markets and treasury management.

Digital currency payment volumes hit at least $350 billion in 2025, according to Boston Consulting Group. Mastercard says growing regulatory clarity is pushing financial institutions to act.

“Adding on-chain rails to our network will support speed and programmability for virtually every type of transaction,” said Jorn Lambert, Mastercard’s Chief Product Officer.

BVNK CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers said the deal would build infrastructure for digital currency-based financial services that neither company could deliver alone.

The combined operation will take a chain-agnostic approach, meaning customers won’t be locked into any single blockchain ecosystem.

The deal is expected to close before the end of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

Last updated: March 17, 2026