Mastercard

Visa is looking for a new stablecoin settlement partner following the sale of BVNK to Mastercard.

Bill Ackman is acquiring Netflix again, while also adding multiple new stocks to his portfolio. The hedge fund disclosed recent positions in Visa, Mastercard, S&P Global, Intercontinental Exchange, and Alcon.

Louisiana enacted a law prohibiting merchants from adding surcharges on debit card transactions, which supporters tout as consumer protection. However, critics note that the legislation does not eliminate the underlying debit card fees charged by financial institutions and payment networks like Visa and Mastercard. The state measure reinforces existing federal prohibitions established under an amendment to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Stablecoin firm BVNK is moving toward a significant acquisition deal valued at $1.8 billion with Mastercard. This transaction marks a major development in the financial technology sector.

Circle has partnered with Visa, Mastercard, and BlackRock as validators for its September Arc launch. The company's USDC distribution deal with Coinbase has been renewed on existing terms, and Arc's testnet has processed half a billion transactions.

Mastercard has completed the acquisition of BVNK to enhance its stablecoin payments infrastructure. The company aims to use BVNK's expertise to help enterprises scale stablecoin and tokenized asset use cases.

Mastercard completed a $1.8 billion acquisition of BVNK to advance its stablecoin initiatives. The partnership aims to enable banks, fintechs, and enterprises to expand stablecoin-related services including payments, payouts, and treasury operations.

A user received a suspicious email claiming they ordered a cookie recipe from Shopify, which included mismatched credit card numbers and a PDF link. The user did not click the link, moved the email to spam, and is questioning if it is a phishing scam, noting they recently ordered a multitool on Amazon.

Mastercard is adapting to 'agentic commerce' as the payment-technology landscape evolves. The company's CEO asserts that credit cards will 'prevail' in the era of AI-driven shopping.

Mastercard reported $9.28 billion in revenue and $4.97 per-share profit in the second quarter, driven by growth in its payment network and increased demand for digital services.

Innovation theorist John Nosta warns that AI risks eliminating outlier thinking responsible for major breakthroughs by prioritizing consensus over originality. He argues AI systems trained on recursive data may homogenize ideas, pushing unconventional thinkers like Einstein, Newton, and Picasso toward the middle of a bell curve. However, the article notes mixed evidence, with some suggesting AI could enhance creativity when used as a tool rather than a replacement.

Jill Kramer, Mastercard's chief marketing and communications officer, emphasizes AI's potential to enhance creativity and insights in marketing. She highlights the importance of embracing AI's positive applications and fostering a company-wide commitment to brand protection and innovation.

A user noticed a pending credit labeled 'Mastercard cash reward rebate' on their checking account, which later cleared as a 'person-to-person transfer'. The bank and user were both confused, with the bank suggesting it might be a third-party rebate, but the user expressed concern it could be a scam to test the account's validity.

Visa launched the Visa Stablecoin Platform to enable banks and fintechs to integrate stablecoins into existing payment workflows, targeting 200 million merchants. The platform supports OUSD from Open Standard and complements existing stablecoins like USDC and USDG, with competitors like Mastercard and American Express also partnering with Open Standard.

Visa, Mastercard, and Ripple have supported x402 as agent payments average 32 cents. The collaboration involves three major financial entities and a payments initiative.

Mastercard is considering a strategic exit by selling a majority stake in its payments subsidiary, Vocalink. The move reflects a potential shift in the company's focus within the UK market.

Mastercard is considering selling a majority stake in its UK payments subsidiary, Vocalink, back to British banks. The move comes as Vocalink seeks a contract to develop a next-generation platform.

EU lawmakers are advancing negotiations for a digital euro, aiming to reduce reliance on US-based payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Trump Accounts, investment accounts for American children under 18, officially launched on July 4. Michael Dell pledged $250 for the first 25 million qualifying children, while the US Treasury offers a $1,000 deposit for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028. The initiative allows annual contributions up to $5,000 and includes support from companies like BlackRock, Chipotle, and MasterCard.

Open Standard launched Open USD, a stablecoin backed by over 140 financial institutions and technology partners, including Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe. The stablecoin aims to create a shared infrastructure for tokenized dollars, with governance managed collectively by a board of partner organizations. Its economic model allows partners to mint and redeem tokens at no cost while sharing reserve earnings after a management fee.

Open USD, a new stablecoin, is challenging existing stablecoins USDC and USDT. It is supported by major companies like Visa, Mastercard, and Google.

The EU’s central bank is developing a digital euro to reduce reliance on payment services like Visa, Mastercard, and Apple Pay. The project's success depends on creating a user-friendly payment system while preventing a mass withdrawal of funds from bank savings.

Visa, Mastercard, and over 140 companies, including Stripe, BlackRock, and Coinbase, launched Open USD, a dollar-pegged stablecoin designed to redistribute stablecoin market economics. The project aims to challenge existing stablecoins like USDC and USDT by offering no fees and sharing reserve income with users, managed by an independent organization.

President Bola Tinubu emphasized Nigeria’s young population as a key asset for digital opportunities, assuring Mastercard of a tech-ready workforce and supporting digital skills development for small and medium enterprises.

The EU aims to reduce reliance on U.S. payment systems like Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay by advancing a digital euro. The European Parliament's economy committee approved the initiative, with full approval pending. The ECB plans a 2029 launch if legal frameworks are approved, emphasizing privacy and offline functionality.

Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard's Senior Fellow, permanently reduced the company's advertising budget by 70%, shifting funds to consumer experiences and engagement programs. He argues traditional advertising is ineffective due to consumer overload and distraction, advocating for creativity and human connection in marketing.

81% of Nigerian SMEs are confident about the year ahead, with 100% agreeing that digital and online payments are vital for business growth. Their top priorities include training staff, upskilling, and digitizing operations.

Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard's former chief marketing and communications officer, discusses AI's dual role as a threat and opportunity in marketing. He warns of a 'sea of sameness' from AI-generated content but emphasizes the growing importance of creativity and consumer insight to differentiate brands.

Flutterwave, a Nigeria-founded fintech firm operating in 35 African countries, aims to expand through acquisitions and integrate Ripple's stablecoin to become Africa's primary fintech platform. The company secured a $3.25 billion valuation after an investment round including Ripple and has acquired Mono, a Nigerian startup, to enhance its consumer financial data offerings.

Animoca Brands cofounder Yat Siu argues Asia will lead in integrating AI and blockchain before the West, citing Asia's comfort with money and the West's polarization between capitalism and anti-capitalism. He highlights blockchain's role in enabling autonomous AI transactions and criticizes credit card companies for high fees compared to on-chain transactions.

The European Commission has proposed plans for digital sovereignty, but critics argue they lack vision. A Slovenian national in the Netherlands lost access to US-based services like Apple, Amazon, and PayPal after being sanctioned by the Trump administration for her work at the international criminal court.

Businesses are increasingly charging fees for credit card transactions, raising concerns about potential debit card fees. However, debit card transactions, governed by Visa and Mastercard rules, currently cannot incur such fees. A restaurant owner in Iowa highlights the financial impact of credit card fees on businesses.

Businesses are increasingly charging fees for credit card transactions, prompting questions about potential debit card fees. Debit cards are currently exempt from such fees due to payment network rules enforced by Visa and Mastercard, but 40% of U.S. consumers use cashless payments weekly. Some businesses avoid passing credit card fees to customers but face financial impacts from these costs.

More businesses are adding fees for credit card transactions, prompting concerns about potential debit card fees. Debit cards are currently exempt from such fees due to payment network rules enforced by Visa and Mastercard, but merchants still absorb credit card processing costs.

Visa has integrated its payment network into ChatGPT, enabling AI agents to shop and complete transactions for users. This collaboration with OpenAI differs from a prior, less successful Instant Checkout feature that was retired due to errors and high merchant fees.

Visa has integrated its payment network into ChatGPT, enabling AI agents to shop and complete transactions for users. This collaboration addresses previous limitations of OpenAI's Instant Checkout, which was retired due to errors and high merchant fees, by allowing users to link Visa cards to ChatGPT for broader merchant acceptance and improved transaction security.

Visa has integrated its payment network into ChatGPT, enabling AI agents to shop and complete transactions for users. This collaboration with OpenAI allows users to link Visa cards to ChatGPT for purchases, differing from OpenAI's previous failed Instant Checkout feature. Visa emphasizes security measures like spending limits and fraud monitoring to address concerns.

Mastercard has launched Agent Pay for Machines, a service enabling AI to purchase services and settle transactions using cards, bank accounts, and stablecoins. The initiative involves collaboration with cryptocurrency companies like Coinbase and Ripple.

Mastercard is preparing for a future in which AI agents will handle payment transactions. The company aims to adapt its services to accommodate automated payment systems driven by artificial intelligence.

Mastercard has introduced Agent Pay for Machines to facilitate autonomous AI transactions, including support for stablecoins. The infrastructure is designed to handle high-volume, low-value payments by autonomous AI agents.