Mastercard and Chainlink Join Forces to Enable Over 3 Billion Cardholders to Buy Cryptocurrency Directly On-Chain

In a landmark collaboration announced on June 24, 2025, Mastercard and Chainlink have teamed up to allow more than three billion Mastercard users worldwide to purchase cryptocurrencies directly on blockchain networks. This initiative aims to bridge traditional payment systems with decentralized finance, offering a seamless and secure way for mainstream users to access digital assets without intermediaries.

The partnership integrates Mastercard’s extensive global payment network with Chainlink’s advanced interoperability infrastructure, facilitating smooth fiat-to-crypto conversions. The service incorporates key players for card processing, regulatory compliance, liquidity provision, and decentralized exchanges for executing token swaps on-chain. Chainlink’s protocol acts as the connective layer, securely transmitting transaction data between Mastercard’s payment system and multiple blockchain networks.

Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s Executive Vice President for Blockchain and Digital Assets, emphasized the company’s goal to bridge the gap between on-chain commerce and off-chain transactions, highlighting the growing demand for easy access to digital assets among consumers. Sergey Nazarov, Chainlink’s co-founder, described the project as a critical step toward merging traditional finance with decentralized finance, enabling Mastercard’s vast user base to engage directly with next-generation on-chain trading environments.

This partnership reflects Mastercard’s ongoing expansion into the crypto space, following recent collaborations to facilitate stablecoin payments and crypto debit cards. By enabling direct on-chain purchases, Mastercard and Chainlink are lowering barriers for everyday users to participate in the crypto economy, signaling a significant move toward mainstream adoption of blockchain-based financial services.

Overall, this alliance represents a major advancement in integrating traditional payment infrastructures with decentralized blockchain technology, promising a more inclusive and accessible future for cryptocurrency transactions globally.