Mastercard to acquire crypto infrastructure startup Zerohash in deal worth up to $2 billion: Fortune

Mastercard is reportedly set to acquire Zerohash, a Chicago-based startup specializing in crypto and stablecoin infrastructure, in a deal valued at up to $2 billion, citing anonymous sources via Fortune. Founded in 2017, Zerohash provides banks, fintechs, and brokerages with the technology and regulatory tools necessary to launch compliant crypto trading, stablecoin, and tokenization projects. Zerohash was last valued at $1 billion following a $104 million Series D funding round in September, which was led by Interactive Brokers and included investments from Morgan Stanley and SoFi. This potential acquisition follows reports that Mastercard was involved in a bidding war with Coinbase to acquire stablecoin startup BVNK for approximately $2 billion earlier this month. Mastercard has been increasingly active in the crypto sector, supporting crypto debit cards for exchanges like Binance and Gemini, and recently moving into stablecoins through partnerships with Circle and participation in the Global Dollar consortium.

(Source：The Block)