Mastercard Recruits 85 Crypto Companies Into Global Payment Network

Mastercard launches Crypto Partner Program with 85+ companies including Binance, Ripple, PayPal, Circle, and Gemini to connect blockchain payments with its global card network.

Mastercard Recruits 85 Crypto Companies Into Global Payment Network Mastercard launches Crypto Partner Program with 85+ companies including Binance, Ripple, PayPal, Circle, and Gemini to connect blockchain payments with its global card network. March 13, 2026 Key Takeaways: Mastercard launched the Crypto Partner Program on March 11 with more than 85 crypto-native companies, payment providers, and financial institutions including Binance, Circle, Ripple, PayPal, Gemini, Kraken, and Paxos. The program connects blockchain-based payments with Mastercard's existing card rails across 200+ countries, focusing on cross-border remittances, B2B transfers, payouts, and settlement. Partners will work with Mastercard teams to design products that combine on-chain speed and programmability with established commerce infrastructure, including crypto-linked payment cards and stablecoin ramps. Mastercard launched the Crypto Partner Program on March 11, recruiting more than 85 companies from across the digital asset, fintech, and banking sectors into a single initiative connecting blockchain payments with its global card network. The partner list reads like a directory of crypto infrastructure: Binance, Circle, Ripple, PayPal, Gemini, Kraken, Paxos, MetaMask, MoonPay, Nexo, OKX, SoFi, and Crypto.com alongside blockchain networks Solana, Polygon, Optimism, Aptos, Stellar, and Tron. Infrastructure providers Fireblocks, BitGo, Chainalysis, and Marqeta are included. So are banks: Cross River, CBW Bank, Lead Bank, and WebBank. What They Are Actually Building The program is not a token listing or a trading partnership. It focuses on practical payment use cases where blockchain may offer advantages over existing systems: cross-border remittances, B2B payments, institutional settlement, and c