Mastercard appears ready to deepen its commitment to digital assets, with reports indicating the global payments powerhouse is negotiating the purchase of Zero Hash, a Chicago-based blockchain infrastructure firm.
Sources familiar with the matter told Fortune that the deal could be valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, marking one of Mastercard’s most ambitious ventures into the crypto sector to date.
The potential acquisition underscores a growing race among traditional payment networks to secure their role in the expanding stablecoin economy. Zero Hash, founded in 2017, provides the technical foundation that enables financial institutions and fintech firms to integrate crypto and tokenized assets into their services. Its technology supports transfers, settlements, and stablecoin payments, helping bridge traditional finance with blockchain infrastructure.
This move follows Mastercard’s earlier pursuit of BVNK, a London-based stablecoin company that drew significant interest from several major players. Mastercard was reportedly outbid by Coinbase, which secured an exclusive agreement with BVNK valued at roughly $2 billion. Having missed that opportunity, the company now seems determined not to be left behind in the rapidly growing stablecoin infrastructure market.
Zero Hash: Quietly Powering Institutional Tokenization
Zero Hash has emerged as one of the hidden engines behind the tokenization trend sweeping through global finance. The company’s API systems process billions of dollars in digital asset transactions, supporting products such as BlackRock’s BUIDL, Franklin Templeton’s BENJI Token, and Hamilton Lane’s HLPIF. Its infrastructure enables banks and asset managers to tokenize funds and execute blockchain-based settlements without building proprietary systems.
The race to dominate the stablecoin space is intensifying as payment firms and tech giants rush to integrate blockchain technology into their ecosystems. Stripe has already acquired the stablecoin startup Bridge for $1.1 billion and unveiled Tempo, its proprietary blockchain for cross-border payments. PayPal has broadened its own stablecoin, PYUSD, to networks like Avalanche and Tron, while Visa announced that it would expand support for stablecoins across multiple new blockchains in the coming months.
Regulatory Green Light Fuels Expansion
Clearer regulatory frameworks in both the U.S. and Europe have accelerated this new wave of corporate blockchain initiatives. With legislative guardrails now in place, major financial players are moving quickly to embed stablecoins into global payment rails.
For Mastercard, acquiring Zero Hash could solidify its position as one of the leading bridges between traditional finance and decentralized technology. If finalized, the deal would not only represent a major milestone in the company’s digital strategy but also highlight how rapidly the world’s largest payment networks are adapting to the era of programmable money.
