MoonPay Collaborates with Mastercard to Introduce Tether Payment Card

# MoonPay Collaborates with Mastercard to Launch USDT-Based Payment Card Fintech innovator MoonPay, renowned for digital assets and cryptocurrency solutions, has teamed up with global payments leader Mastercard to unveil a new card for real-world payments using the stablecoin TetherUS (USDT). According to The Defiant, reported on May 15, this MoonPay-Mastercard collaboration will support over 200 countries and regions, with acceptance by more than 150 million Mastercard merchants globally. Users can link USDT from their digital asset wallets to the card, facilitating automatic conversion to local fiat currency during transactions. MoonPay highlighted, “This partnership allows every digital asset wallet to access a stablecoin-powered virtual Mastercard, paving the way for seamless global payments.” # Innovating Global Finance Scott Abrahams, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships at Mastercard, commented, “By utilizing stablecoins, we aim to transform global money movement and securely bridge the gap between digital assets and traditional financial systems.” Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, expressed his excitement, boldly claiming the USDT-based card as “the best idea since sliced bread.” > “This is huge! $USDT cards are the best idea after sliced bread!” tweeted Ardoino on May 15, 2025. This initiative leverages technology from Iron, a stablecoin payment infrastructure company acquired by MoonPay in March. # Expanding Stablecoin Payments Market MoonPay integrates with over 500 digital asset platforms, serving more than 100 million users worldwide. Data shows that about 20 million wallets engage in stablecoin transfers monthly, with 120 million wallets holding stablecoin balances. Mastercard has been increasingly active in the digital asset arena, partnering with numerous crypto firms and aggressively entering the stablecoin payment market. Meanwhile, Visa, a primary competitor, launched a USDC-based payment card in April, signifying a competitive drive among global payment networks to adopt stablecoins for everyday transactions.