Zerohash deal fuels rails strategy

Mastercard stablecoins are at the centre of reported talks as the card network eyes Zerohash in a potential deal valued between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion, according to TechCentral on 30 October 2025.

What is the Zerohash acquisition news?

TechCentral reported that Mastercard is in late-stage talks to acquire crypto start-up Zerohash for between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion, citing multiple sources and noting the talks could still fall through. The article says Zerohash, founded in 2017, builds stablecoin and blockchain infrastructure and completed a financing round of just over US$100 million earlier in 2025 that valued the firm above US$1 billion.

How does this fit Mastercard crypto strategy and payment network stablecoins?

What infrastructure would Zerohash add?

Zerohash offers custody, trading and settlement primitives that incumbents can plug into card rails. Integrating those capabilities would help Mastercard connect tokenised dollar balances to cards and merchant settlement flows without recreating end-to-end custody stacks.

How do partners and incumbents feature?

Mastercard has existing partnerships with exchanges and issuers; the reported move would build on that roadmap by internalising key rails. Morgan Stanley, Interactive Brokers and SoFi appear in Zerohash’s investor mix, underscoring incumbent interest in stablecoin infrastructure providers. Note: regulatory approvals and issuer safeguards will dictate deployment timing.

Who benefits from stablecoin infrastructure providers and stablecoin custody services?

Which firms gain market advantage?

Banks, fintechs and wallets that adopt Mastercard’s expanded rails could offer smoother on‑ramps, convertibility at point of sale and faster settlement. Start-ups that specialise in custody and compliance may see acquisition interest as card networks seek control over liquidity and settlement paths.

What are the main risks?

Regulatory clarity on issuance, custody and settlement remains the primary uncertainty. Competition for assets such as Zerohash — and earlier talks around BVNK and Coinbase reported in the same cycle — shows how strategic these infrastructure plays have become for both crypto firms and payment networks.

In brief, if the Zerohash talks proceed, Mastercard would bind a major card network more tightly to stablecoin infrastructure and payment rails, accelerating corporate stablecoin adoption while placing compliance and operational responsibilities squarely on incumbents.

As TechCentral put it, “Mastercard is in late-stage talks to acquire crypto start-up Zerohash,” highlighting how payments firms are shifting from pilots toward production integrations.