Mastercard Nears Deal to Acquire Zerohash
Mastercard is in advanced talks to buy Zerohash, a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure firm. The deal could be valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Sources told Fortune that negotiations are in the final stages, but no agreement has been signed yet. The acquisition would mark a major move for Mastercard in the crypto space.
About Zerohash
Zerohash was founded in 2017 and is based in Chicago. The company builds systems that help firms process crypto transactions, issue stablecoins, and tokenize assets. It offers technology tools for companies to enable crypto payments or trading without building their own platforms.
In September 2025, Zerohash raised $104 million in funding. Investors included Interactive Brokers, Morgan Stanley, Jump Crypto, and Apollo. This funding valued Zerohash at around $1 billion. The investment reflects growing demand for enterprise blockchain infrastructure amid clearer regulations in the U.S. and Europe.
Zerohash recently partnered with Morgan Stanley’s E-Trade, which plans to launch crypto trading in 2026. It also collaborates with OnePay, a Walmart-backed app aiming to offer Bitcoin and Ether trading.
Growing Interest in Stablecoins
The talks follow increased interest from financial firms in stablecoins, which are digital tokens pegged to assets like the U.S. dollar. Earlier this year, Stripe acquired Bridge for about $1.1 billion. Mastercard and Coinbase also held talks to buy London-based stablecoin company BVNK for up to $2.5 billion.
Mastercard has been active in crypto, acquiring blockchain analytics firm CipherTrace in 2021. It also joined a consortium with Robinhood and Kraken to develop stablecoin standards.
