Mastercard (MA) is reportedly close to finalizing an agreement to purchase Zerohash, a Chicago-based company specializing in crypto and stablecoin infrastructure, with the deal valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, according to a
Seeking Alpha report
. Similar numbers have been cited by other sources, such as an
Investing.com article
and a
TradingView report
. This acquisition, now in its final negotiation phase, would mark one of Mastercard’s largest forays into the crypto industry and highlight its increasing focus on stablecoins—digital assets tied to traditional currencies like the U.S. dollar, as reported by a
Fortune exclusive
. Should the transaction go through,
Mastercard
would become a major force in the blockchain payment infrastructure space, which is gaining momentum as banks and financial firms look for quicker and more cost-effective payment methods, according to a
U.Today report
. Zerohash’s platform allows banks, fintechs, and payment providers to add crypto services like staking, custody, and tokenization, with clients such as Interactive Brokers and Stripe, Fortune notes.
This move fits within Mastercard’s broader plan to grow its digital payments network. Earlier this month, the company teamed up with Egypt’s Commercial International Bank (CIB) and food delivery service talabat to introduce a co-branded credit card aimed at digital-first consumers. The CIB talabat Mastercard provides monthly cashback, waived delivery fees at select merchants, and 1% cashback on purchases outside talabat, with the goal of boosting cashless payments in Egypt, as detailed in an
Osoul Misr article
. Khaled Alfakesh, talabat’s CFO, highlighted the project’s contribution to digital inclusion, while Mete Güney, Mastercard’s EEMEA executive vice president, pointed to its alignment with Egypt’s Vision 2030 digital economy strategy, according to Osoul Misr.
At the same time, Mastercard’s shares have experienced varied investor responses. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC has recently trimmed its stake in the company, as shown in a
MarketBeat filing
, while filings from
VestGen
and
Envestnet
indicate increased holdings. The stock currently offers a 0.5% dividend yield, and analysts project earnings per share of 15.91 for this fiscal year, according to VestGen. Recent insider activity, including share sales by CFO Sachin J. Mehra, has also been noted in the filings.
In Pakistan, Meezan Bank and Mastercard wrapped up their "Spend Big, Win Big!" campaign, which rewarded customers making international purchases with prizes such as hybrid vehicles and Umrah travel packages, as reported by
BizToday
. This campaign supports Mastercard’s efforts to promote secure, Shariah-compliant global payment solutions, reflecting its broad international and financial collaborations.
As Mastercard faces regulatory challenges and market fluctuations in the crypto space, the potential Zerohash acquisition would represent a significant commitment to the future of payments. The company has previously expressed confidence in stablecoins, joining alliances with Robinhood and Kraken and acquiring blockchain analytics firm CipherTrace in 2021, Fortune reports. By leveraging Zerohash’s infrastructure, Mastercard aims to reinforce its leadership in the rapidly changing intersection of crypto and traditional finance.