Chainlink surges 14% after partnering with Mastercard to bring 3 billion users direct access to crypto

Chainlink has announced a new partnership with Mastercard to make crypto purchases easier and more secure for mainstream users, according to a July 24 statement.

The collaboration will allow over 3 billion Mastercard cardholders worldwide to buy digital assets directly on-chain using fiat. This marks a significant step forward in integrating traditional finance with blockchain infrastructure.

According to the statement, the integration is powered by Chainlink’s secure interoperability technology and Mastercard’s global payments network. Together, they eliminate long-standing friction between fiat payments and crypto access, creating a seamless bridge for users new to the on-chain economy.

Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s executive vice president for Blockchain and Digital Assets, said:

“There’s no doubt about it – people want to be able to easily connect to the digital assets ecosystem, and vice versa. That’s why we continue to leverage our proven expertise and global payments network to bridge the gap between onchain commerce and offchain transactions.”

Following the announcement, Chainlink’s native token, LINK, surged roughly 14% to $13.37 as of press time, according to CryptoSlate data.

Crypto infrastructure for on-chain payments

The initiative relies on a group of integrated partners to provide a regulated and smooth transaction process.

One of the key players is Zerohash, which delivers the core infrastructure needed to convert fiat into crypto, offering compliance, custody, and smart contract execution. It also serves as the liquidity provider for these conversions.

Chainlink added that Shift4 Payments handles card processing, while Swapper Finance powers the front-end user interface.

Meanwhile, the system also leverages XSwap, a decentralized exchange built on Chainlink’s interoperability standards. This exchange sources liquidity from DEX protocols like Uniswap to finalize swaps on-chain.

These collaborations enable users to perform fiat-to-crypto transactions in a secure and compliant environment, without requiring them to leave the user-friendly interface of traditional financial tools.

Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov described the initiative as a “critical step” in bringing DeFi closer to real-world users.

He noted that connecting Mastercard’s vast user base to on-chain trading environments aligns with Chainlink’s broader mission to bridge traditional and decentralized systems.

He added:

“This was a complex and multilayered collaboration…[And] it is the type of traditional finance and decentralized finance convergence that Chainlink was built to make possible.”

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