According to the corporation, there are 2.8 billion Mastercards in use.īitcoin’s popularity has stayed high as the original cryptocurrency has risen in value this year, reaching a high of more than $60,000 this month. Along with Visa, Mastercard administers one of the most powerful global payment networks, with over 20,000 financial institutions around the world. The revelation could result in a large increase in the number of people earning and spending bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the United States. “Our partners, be they banks, fintechs or merchants, can offer their customers the ability to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrency through an integration with the Baktt platform.” “We want to offer all of our partners the ability to more easily add crypto services to whatever it is they’re doing,” Sherri Haymond, Mastercard’s executive vice president of digital partnerships, said in an interview. To do so, the payments network is teaming with Bakkt, a crypto startup recently spun off by Intercontinental Exchange, which will provide custodial services for customers who join up behind the scenes, according to executives at the two companies.
