Mastercard Acquires BVNK for Up to $1.8 Billion to Accelerate Stablecoin Payments

Mastercard will acquire stablecoin payments infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8 billion - including $300 million in contingent payments - pending regulatory approval. The deal closes before end-2026.

BVNK, founded in 2021 and headquartered in London, holds payments licenses across multiple jurisdictions and operates on all major blockchains in over 130 countries. It bridges fiat and stablecoins for cross-border remittances, business payments, and payouts.

"BVNK has spent seven years building not just the technology, but also obtaining licenses in multiple geographies," said Mastercard Chief Product Officer Jorn Lambert. "An acquisition gets us to market much faster."

The move expands Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program and positions it ahead of rivals like Visa in the fast-evolving stablecoin payments race.