Chainlink, a provider of decentralized oracle networks, has announced a partnership with payments giant Mastercard to allow more than 3 billion Mastercard users worldwide to purchase cryptocurrencies directly on-chain. This collaboration is expected to accelerate the adoption of digital assets, especially among those with little to no Web3 experience.
The integration is made possible through a series of collaborations with Web3 companies, including Shift4 Payments, Swapper Finance, XSwap, and ZeroHash—a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider that will handle fiat-to-crypto conversions and provide the necessary on-chain liquidity.
A Chainlink Labs spokesperson told: “The current version of the application on Swapper Finance is non-custodial and leverages account abstraction to simplify user experience and give them full control. We wanted this solution to be accessible to everyone, not just crypto enthusiasts.”
Mastercard has been expanding its presence in the digital asset space throughout 2024 and 2025. In April, it partnered with Kraken to launch crypto debit cards in the UK and Europe. The company also teamed up with MetaMask to introduce a self-custody crypto card. Earlier in the year, Mastercard announced it had tokenized 30% of its 2024 transactions.
Meanwhile, Mastercard’s main competitor, Visa, has also made significant strides in the crypto arena. In October 2024, Visa partnered with Coinbase to enable instant crypto deposits and withdrawals for select users. It also launched its own Web3 digital asset platform and invested in BVNK, a stablecoin payment provider.
Purchasing cryptocurrency with fiat remains a complex process for many users unfamiliar with blockchain technology. This complexity can be a barrier to entry and slow down the growth of the digital asset industry.
However, the demand for easier access is evident, according to Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s Executive Vice President for blockchain and digital asset partnerships.
“There’s no doubt—people want an easy way to connect with the digital assets ecosystem, and the ecosystem needs to connect more seamlessly with users,” Dhamodharan said.
