Mastercard acquires BVNK for $1.8B, Fuse launches self-custodial Solana card, Crypto.com adds 8% Prime tier
2026-03-21
Mastercard agreed to acquire stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK for up to $1.8 billion — including $300 million in performance-contingent payments — in its biggest crypto deal ever. BVNK operates across 130+ countries on all major blockchain networks and will power stablecoin capabilities across Mastercard’s payment endpoints, enabling 24/7 stablecoin settlement for processors and acquirers. The deal signals that traditional payment networks are no longer experimenting — they’re building.
Source: CNBC Related: Crypto.com Visa Card, MetaMask Card.
Squads Labs launched Fuse, a non-custodial Solana Visa card that lets users spend USDC directly from their wallet at the point of sale — no pre-loading required. Available in the US (excl. NY, AK, FL, LA) and Argentina. Supports Apple Pay and Google Pay. Fuse Earn offers 4-8% DeFi yield on USDC balances. Virtual only for now, with a $2K daily spend limit.
Source: Fuse Related: Fuse Card.
Crypto.com added a new ‘Prime’ tier to its Level Up program offering 8% CRO cashback at a $1,000,000 CRO lockup with uncapped rewards — the highest cashback rate in Crypto.com history. Separately, the US credit card’s Obsidian tier was bumped to 6.5% CRO for the first 12 months (5% thereafter). Both moves target high-net-worth crypto holders seeking premium card benefits.
Source: Crypto.com Related: Crypto.com Visa Card, Crypto.com US Credit Card.
Market Context: March 2026 is shaping up as a watershed month for crypto payments infrastructure. Mastercard’s $1.8B BVNK acquisition signals that traditional payment networks are no longer experimenting — they’re building. Meanwhile, self-custodial cards like Fuse are proving that decentralized spending is viable at scale, and the SEC-CFTC joint interpretation provides the clearest US regulatory framework yet.