Tag: Mastercard

A player communication reviewed by FinTelegram raises a serious compliance question for Revolut: did the fintech initially tell a customer that Mastercard chargebacks had been raised and finally decided, only to later admit that no chargebacks had been submitted at all? Against the backdrop of FinTelegram’s long-running investigations into illegal offshore casino payment rails, the case sharpens a broader issue.

The Ukrainian fintech group Fondy raises a difficult compliance question. In the UK, Fondy Ltd is an FCA-authorised EMI with minimal reported turnover and repeated losses. In Austria, its ultimate parent V & A Holding GmbH entered insolvency in Feb 2026. Valeriia Vahorovska and Ronny Pecik are its shareholders. In Ukraine, the NBU cancelled the participation of LLC FC “Alliance”, operating under the Fondy brand, in Visa and Mastercard payment systems after receiving documented information indicating national-security risks.

Mastercard’s agreement to acquire stablecoin infrastructure specialist BVNK for up to $1.8 billion shows that stablecoins are no longer being treated as a fringe crypto experiment. For one of the world’s largest card networks, they are becoming a strategic payments rail that must be integrated, governed, and monetized.

While European gambling regulators intensify their crackdown on illegal offshore casinos, a more uncomfortable question is emerging for the banking sector: are major retail banks, through rigid chargeback practices and weak scrutiny of miscoded card transactions, helping illegal gambling networks stay operational?

Stablecoins now clear almost a trillion dollars every 30 days—within 15 % of Visa’s monthly payment flow and already bigger than Mastercard’s. We show why “crypto cash legs” are capturing settlement share and map three scenarios for whether blockchains, not new currencies, upend legacy rails.

PayPal will let every U.S. merchant accept more than 100 cryptocurrencies and settle in dollars at just 0.99%—a 90% haircut to today’s card fees. But new stablecoin rules and PayPal’s own margin math could flip the script if regulators—or Visa and Mastercard—strike back.

Visa, Mastercard, Circle, and JPMorgan have ignited a high-stakes sprint to convert dollar-backed tokens into mainstream payment rails. Stablecoins already settle about 7 % more value on-chain than the two card networks combined, and blue-chip giants are now laying the pipes. The prize is near-frictionless money; the risks are regulatory salvos and a squeeze on interchange margins.

Mastercard is positioning itself as a leader in bridging traditional finance with digital assets through a comprehensive stablecoin strategy. By developing end-to-end infrastructure and forging key partnerships, the company aims to make stablecoins as usable as fiat currency for consumers and merchants – a move with significant implications for global payments.

EFRI, now an officially recognized Qualified Entity under Directive (EU) 2020/1828, has launched its first direct strike in a new phase of its campaign against financial crime enablers. On April 4, 2025, EFRI submitted identical letters to both VISA and MasterCard, accusing them of enabling mass fraud through negligence, systemic failures, and blind tolerance toward high-risk acquirers like Payvision B.V.

In a surprising decision, Mastercard has decided to resume its debit card program with Binance, the world's largest and most embattled crypto exchange, despite numerous ongoing controversies and serious allegations. This move raises significant questions about the card giant’s risk assessment and decision-making processes. Trustpilot suspended the Binance TrustScore due to a fake review investigation. Consequently, PayRate42 downgraded Binance's Risk Rating to Red.

The UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is intensifying its oversight of Visa and Mastercard, aiming to reduce their overwhelming market dominance and address the issue of soaring merchant fees. With both companies controlling 95% of card transactions in the UK, their recent 30% fee hike, unaccompanied by any service improvements, has prompted a regulatory crackdown aimed at restoring transparency and fairness in the market.

Mastercard and Binance, a prominent crypto exchange, have terminated their four crypto card initiatives in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Bahrain, effective September 22nd. A Mastercard representative confirmed this announcement. These Binance cards enabled users to conduct transactions in conventional currencies, which were backed by their cryptocurrency assets held on the Binance platform.