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Digital assets

August 3, 2026

 

The challenge is no longer supporting new rails and new forms of money. It’s connecting them

The completion of Mastercard's acquisition of BVNK marks a new phase in the evolution of payments.

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Jorn Lambert profile photo

Jorn Lambert

Chief Product Officer, Mastercard

We’re in the midst of a new payments paradigm taking shape. Across the ecosystem, stablecoins, tokenized deposits and other digital forms of value are moving into real-world payments, payouts, settlement, capital markets and treasury operations. At the same time, cards, account-to-account payments, real-time payments and open banking continue to evolve.

A multi-money world is emerging — one where multiple forms of value will coexist and increasingly work together.

Today, with Mastercard’s acquisition of BVNK complete, we’re moving that future into practice.

Money has never stood still. Throughout the evolution of payments — from cards and e-commerce to tokenization, contactless and account-to-account capabilities — Mastercard has helped define how innovation becomes practical, trusted and accessible at scale. We have worked alongside banks, fintechs, merchants, technology providers and policymakers to create the conditions that allow new technologies to move beyond early adoption and into everyday use.

We believe digital currencies are entering that phase now.

As these new forms of money become part of everyday commerce, the question is no longer whether they will emerge, but how they become trusted, scalable and connected to the systems, networks and experiences people and businesses already rely on.

That question will shape the next chapter of commerce.

Financial institutions want to connect accounts, wallets and payment networks more seamlessly. Payment service providers and acquirers want greater flexibility in how money moves and settles. Fintechs want to launch new experiences faster. Global businesses are looking for more efficient ways to move value across markets, currencies and counterparties. Across all of these conversations, the objective is remarkably consistent: expanding choice and capability while keeping the experience simple. 

 

Money will continue to evolve. New technologies, networks and business models will emerge. Our ambition is not to predict every outcome. It is to help customers navigate that change and capture its potential.

Jorn Lambert

 

For more than a decade, we have been building toward a future where customers can access multiple ways to move, manage and exchange value through a more connected payments ecosystem. We believe digital assets are entering that phase now, and that is why BVNK is such a strong fit.

BVNK has built deep expertise and infrastructure at the intersection of stablecoins and traditional finance. Its platform helps businesses move, hold, convert and manage value across digital and fiat currencies. Mastercard brings global reach, trusted relationships, security capabilities and decades of experience operating payment infrastructure at scale. Together, we can help more customers access these capabilities through the systems and relationships they already rely on.

Just as importantly, this is a two-way opportunity.

BVNK's expertise, entrepreneurial culture and deep understanding of digital assets strengthen Mastercard's capabilities in a rapidly evolving area of the market. At the same time, Mastercard's network, distribution and global presence create new opportunities to expand the reach and impact of what BVNK has built. As we bring our organizations together, we will learn from one another and build on the strengths that made each company successful.

Our focus now shifts to execution: serving customers, growing the business and creating new opportunities across the combined portfolio. Over time, we see opportunities to expand choice for customers, connect new and existing payment ecosystems more effectively, and help businesses participate in the evolution of money movement with confidence.

Money will continue to evolve. New technologies, networks and business models will emerge. Our ambition is not to predict every outcome. It is to help customers navigate that change and capture its potential.

BVNK strengthens our ability to do exactly that. Together, we believe we can help shape a multi-money future where moving value is more connected, more flexible and more accessible — and where customers can participate in this new payment paradigm without having to manage the complexity underneath.

As a new payments paradigm evolves, we are grounding it in trust

As AI agents and tokenized currencies reshape commerce, Mastercard is embedding security, governance and user protections so new payment models can scale responsibly.
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