Mastercard, Chainlink Enable Direct Onchain Crypto Purchases for 3 Billion Cardholders

Mastercard and blockchain infrastructure provider Chainlink have partnered to enable the payment network’s over 3 billion cardholders to purchase cryptocurrency assets directly onchain via secure fiat-to-crypto conversion.

New Partnership Lets Mastercard Holders Buy Crypto Directly Onchain Using Chainlink

Chainlink provides decentralized oracle networks, which are critical middleware securely connecting blockchains to external data and systems. The partnership leverages Chainlink’s technology alongside Mastercard’s payments network and integrations with compliance provider zerohash, card processor Shift4 Payments, platform Swapper Finance, and decentralized exchange (DEX) technology XSwap. The Uniswap protocol supplies liquidity.

The announcement notes that the collaboration aims to remove barriers preventing mainstream users from accessing the onchain economy. Zerohash handles regulated fiat-to-crypto conversion, custody and compliance. Shift4 processes card payments. XSwap sources liquidity from DEXs like Uniswap for the final onchain swap execution. Swapper Finance is the user-facing platform utilizing this integrated infrastructure.

Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov stated the partnership represents convergence between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) systems, connecting Mastercard’s user base directly to onchain trading. Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard‘s executive vice president for blockchain and digital assets, said the company is bridging onchain commerce and off-chain transactions to meet user demand for digital asset access.

The technical integration allows card payments to be converted into crypto assets usable within smart contracts onchain in a compliant manner. Edward Woodford, CEO of zerohash, described its role as providing the compliant onboarding and infrastructure simplifying access to decentralized exchanges. Uniswap Labs’ Drew Turchin noted the Uniswap protocol’s foundational role in enabling such onchain tools.

The Swapper Finance platform, powered by this partnership, is now operational. The move occurs as cryptocurrency adoption grows and institutions seek pathways connecting traditional payment systems with DeFi.