Raj Dhamodharan, Executive Vice President of MasterCard, stated in an interview with The Block that the company plans to introduce central bank digital currency (CBDC) onto the blockchain. They are developing a method to allow users to obtain CBDC, package it, bring it onto the public chain, and use it to purchase NFTs.

Alchemy Pay, a fiat-crypto payment gateway, has partnered with Checkout.com to integrate its on and off-ramp with Checkout.com's Visa and Mastercard channels. The integration will also include Alchemy Pay's NFT Checkout in the near future. The partnership aims to achieve high payment acceptance rates and eliminate obstacles to widespread crypto and NFT service adoption. Alchemy Pay has been expanding its reach through partnerships with various companies and obtaining operational licenses in multiple countries, including the United States.

Mastercard is establishing itself as a leader in digital music innovation with its 'Mastercard Web3 Music Accelerator.' The banking giant's blockchain initiative will unveil five groundbreaking AI-generated music NFTs presented by Billboard on July 27. This project expands on Mastercard's existing 'Mastercard Music Pass,' which has already seen over 100,000 mints. The upcoming project features five artists from diverse backgrounds, leveraging cutting-edge AI tools and educational guidance. The Mastercard Web3 Music Accelerator aims to revolutionize the music landscape, ushering in an era of innovative, exclusive, and digitally-driven music production and consumption.

Mastercard's Web3 Music Accelerator will hold a demonstration event at 03:00 on July 28 (UTC+8). Five artists from around the world will be showcased and NFT will be launched. During the live broadcast, anyone can mint their NFT through OneOf Marketplace.

Mastercard has unveiled a new AI-powered tool called 'Consumer Fraud Risk' to help banks combat payment fraud and scams in real-time.

Mastercard has launched the Multi-Token Network (MTN) to provide secure and scalable transactions within digital asset and blockchain ecosystems. The platform aims to foster trust and confidence in the digital asset industry by prioritizing regulatory compliance, consumer protections, and technological advancements. The beta version of the network will be launched in the UK as a testbed for developing live pilot applications and use cases with financial institutions, fintech companies, and central banks. MTN can enable efficient cross-border payments, enhance supply chain management, enable tokenized securities, and secure CBDC transactions. Mastercard's MTN is poised to shape the future of digital asset transactions, fostering confidence and driving innovation in the industry.

July 4 (Cointime) - Mastercard's chief digital officer, Jorn Lambert, believes that blockchain technology can revolutionize payments, but it needs "financially-regulated applications" and "central bank-backed money" to achieve mainstream adoption. Lambert stressed that mainstream adoption would require an unprecedented level of scale and trust in the system.

July 3 (Cointime) - Alchemy Pay, a leading payment solution provider, has introduced a Crypto Card solution designed for businesses to issue their own branded Visa or Mastercard crypto virtual card. Through Alchemy Pay’s modular API, businesses can leverage its advanced payment infrastructure to offer a fast, secure, and convenient payment experience for their users.

June 28 (Cointime) - Mastercard is launching the Multi-Token Network (MTN) to explore tokenized bank deposits, with plans to expand to central bank digital currencies and regulated stablecoins. The MTN will be available in beta mode this summer in the UK, with several banks and financial institutions invited to participate.

June 27 (Cointime) - Aussie Fintech Stables, formerly known as Tiiik, has partnered with Mastercard and Circle to launch Asia Pacific's first virtual stablecoin card. This innovative offering allows users to spend their stablecoin balance securely and seamlessly wherever Mastercard is accepted, whether in stores or online.