Chainlink and Mastercard Team Up to Let 3 Billion Cardholders Buy Crypto Onchain
In a major push toward mainstream crypto adoption, Chainlink has partnered with Mastercard to enable more than three billion cardholders to purchase cryptocurrencies directly onchain. The collaboration aims to simplify digital asset access for non-crypto-native users, offering a seamless fiat-to-crypto experience.
The integration is supported by a cohort of Web3 firms including Shift4 Payments, Swapper Finance, XSwap, and ZeroHash. ZeroHash will provide the critical onchain infrastructure and liquidity to facilitate fiat conversions into crypto, while Swapper Finance’s non-custodial, account-abstracted wallet will offer users a simplified and secure interface.
“This solution was built for everyone — not just crypto-natives or enthusiasts,” a Chainlink Labs spokesperson told Cointelegraph, highlighting the focus on accessibility and regulatory compliance.
The move is part of Mastercard’s broader digital asset strategy, which has gained momentum throughout 2024 and 2025. In April, the company teamed up with Kraken to launch crypto debit cards in Europe and the UK and joined forces with MetaMask to release a self-custody card. Mastercard also claims to have tokenized 30% of its 2024 transactions.
Rival Visa has similarly ramped up its crypto initiatives, partnering with Coinbase and investing in stablecoin infrastructure. The competition between payment giants is helping bridge the gap between traditional finance and Web3.
“There’s no doubt about it — people want to be able to easily connect to the digital assets ecosystem,” said Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s EVP for blockchain and digital assets.
By streamlining fiat-to-crypto transactions for billions, the Chainlink-Mastercard partnership could mark a pivotal moment for retail crypto adoption.
Bitcoin Rebounds to $106K Amid Ceasefire Optimism and Fed Rate Cut Bets
Bitcoin surged back to $106,000 on Monday after briefly dipping below $98,500 over the weekend — its lowest point in 45 days — as geopolitical tensions eased and traders eyed a potential shift in U.S. monetary policy.
The rebound followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran, calming markets rattled by escalating Middle East conflict. The renewed optimism helped Bitcoin recover nearly 8% in under 24 hours.
Despite the weekend volatility, the crypto derivatives market held steady. According to CoinGlass, the move triggered $193 million in liquidations of long BTC positions — a modest shakeout relative to the $68 billion total open interest.
Meanwhile, traders are increasingly betting on interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. CME FedWatch data shows just an 8.4% chance the Fed will hold rates through November, down from 17.1% last week. The probability of a rate cut to 3.75% or below has surged to 53%.
Bitcoin’s hashrate did dip 8% between Sunday and Thursday — from 943.6M TH/s to 865.1M TH/s — sparking speculation about disruptions in mining operations, potentially linked to Iran-based miners. However, analysts pointed out that such drops are common during grid disruptions, like the Texas storms in April that temporarily slashed hashrate by 27%.
With oil prices falling and the S&P 500 gaining 1%, investors appear to be shifting back into risk assets. While some warn that it may be too early to price in a sustained rally, Bitcoin’s rapid recovery above the $100,000 mark suggests institutional demand remains strong, even amid global uncertainty.