ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Mastercard has announced that the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is collaborating with Mastercard to enable cryptocurrency holders in the UK and Europe to use their digital assets for purchases at over 150 million merchants worldwide.Kraken will provide physical and digital debit cards, allowing customers to use cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in everyday transactions. This is the latest development of the Kraken Pay service, which was launched earlier this year and supports cross-border payments with over 300 cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies. These debit cards are expected to be launched in the coming weeks.

ChainCatcher news, according to Business Insider, Mastercard is developing a "Multi-Token Network" aimed at replicating the success of its traditional payment network to provide digital asset trading infrastructure for consumers, merchants, and financial institutions. This system will integrate on-chain and off-chain asset flows, ensuring compliance and optimizing user experience. Mastercard has partnered with JPMorgan, Standard Chartered, and others to explore scenarios such as cross-border payments and carbon credit tokenization, having filed over 250 blockchain-related patents since 2015.

ChainCatcher news, according to NetEase Qingliu Studio, Wang Shuiming, a native of Anxi, Fujian, who was arrested in connection with Singapore's largest money laundering case, has been captured in Montenegro and will be extradited back to China. Wang Shuiming's partner, Su Weiyi, has been confirmed as the mastermind behind the Hong Kong cryptocurrency platform scam AAX, and was arrested by Hong Kong police in July 2024.In November 2022, Atom Asset Exchange suddenly became unable to process withdrawals and subsequently collapsed, with Su Weiyi absconding with 16.74 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 15.675 million RMB). In July 2024, Su Weiyi was arrested by Hong Kong police. It is worth mentioning that Su Weiyi co-owns other companies with other partners, who are linked to the convicted former Filipino mayor Alice Guo (Guo Huaping).On August 15, 2023, over 400 Singaporean police launched a raid, successfully cracking down on the largest money laundering case in Singapore's history, involving an amount of 3 billion Singapore dollars (approximately 16 billion RMB). The Singapore police arrested 10 suspects on the spot. These suspects, aged between 31 and 44, are all originally from Fujian and are referred to by outsiders as the "Fujian Gang." They held passports from multiple countries and used forged documents, shell companies, and cryptocurrencies to "clean" the proceeds from illegal gambling and fraud in Southeast Asia, investing in high-end assets in Singapore and overseas.According to the investigation results of the Singapore police, Wang Shuiming also possesses substantial assets outside of Singapore. Domestically, Wang Shuiming's company has an investment amount of up to 32 million RMB; he owns a factory worth several million RMB; he has two apartments in Xiamen worth a total of 20 million RMB; and there is a bank account in Hong Kong under Wang Shuiming with a deposit of 2 million Hong Kong dollars and cryptocurrencies valued at 110,000 USD.

ChainCatcher news, according to an announcement from Ondo Finance, Mastercard has incorporated Ondo Finance into its Multi-Token Network (MTN), becoming the first real-world asset (RWA) provider on the network. Ondo's short-term U.S. Treasury fund (OUSG) will be the first tokenized RWA solution on MTN, enabling businesses to earn daily yields and access flexible cash management services on-chain.This integration allows MTN enterprise users to directly access OUSG on the public blockchain and settle through traditional banking channels without the need for additional crypto infrastructure. OUSG is supported by institutions such as BlackRock's BUIDL fund and Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree, among others, providing stability and liquidity.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the RWA project Ondo Finance has joined the Mastercard network to improve cross-border payments. Ondo's short-term U.S. government bond fund (OUSG) investment product will be open to businesses on the Mastercard Multi-Token Network (MTN), allowing them to earn returns through tokenized assets.It is reported that most of OUSG's assets are invested in BlackRock's U.S. Dollar Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), which is the largest blockchain-based money market fund backed by short-term U.S. government bonds. Mastercard's MTN combines blockchain tools that support APIs, aimed at helping banks streamline domestic and cross-border transactions.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Mastercard's head of crypto and blockchain business, Raj Dhamodharan, stated that the company has moved from the experimental phase to providing actual crypto solutions. Recently, Mastercard collaborated with compliance company Notabene to integrate its Crypto Credential system into the SafeTransact platform, allowing users to transfer crypto assets using email addresses instead of complex wallet addresses.Dhamodharan pointed out that Mastercard will focus on three areas in 2025: building on-chain and off-chain channels for cryptocurrencies, expanding Crypto Credential functionalities, and stablecoin business. The company currently supports financial institutions in using stablecoins for transaction settlements and plans to announce more partnerships and application scenarios this year. Regarding the trend of asset tokenization, he stated that once regulations clearly allow deposits to be represented on public chains, this field will see larger-scale development.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, global payment service giant Mastercard reports that 30% of its transactions will be tokenized by 2024; at the same time, Mastercard also recognizes the ability of stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies to disrupt traditional financial services.In documents submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company stated that it has made significant progress toward achieving its goal of an "innovative payment ecosystem," including transaction tokenization, creating solutions to unlock blockchain-based business models, and simplifying access to digital assets. Mastercard stated that it is collaborating with a range of cryptocurrency participants to enable consumers to purchase cryptocurrencies using credit cards and spend balances at merchants that accept its brand. The company also reported a net income of $28.2 billion for 2024, a 12% increase from the previous year.Mastercard acknowledges that stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies are becoming competitors in the payment industry. The company stated that digital currencies have the potential to "disrupt traditional financial markets" and may challenge its existing products. The company noted that due to the accessibility, immutability, and efficiency of digital assets, stablecoins and cryptocurrencies may become more popular as they are regulated.

ChainCatcher news, ARK Invest stated in the "Big Ideas 2025" report that stablecoins are one of the fastest-growing segments in the digital asset space. Despite experiencing a two-year bear market and a market cap decline of over 70%, the growth momentum of stablecoins remains unaffected.In 2024, the transaction volume is expected to reach $15.6 trillion, which is approximately 119% and 200% of the transaction volumes of Visa and Mastercard, respectively. The monthly transaction count for stablecoins reaches 110 million, accounting for only 0.41% and 0.72% of the transaction counts processed by Visa and Mastercard. In other words, the average transaction amount for stablecoins is significantly higher than that of Visa and Mastercard.

ChainCatcher news, Circle announced on social media the launch of Circle Paymaster, which supports USDC payments for gas fees on Base and Arbitrum.Users no longer need to convert tokens between blockchains; they can simply use USDC for payments, transfers, and gas fees.

ChainCatcher news, Gate Group has acquired all issued shares of the Japanese cryptocurrency service provider Coin Master Co., Ltd. Coin Master will officially be renamed "Gate Japan KK" (abbreviated as "Gate Japan").Gate's acquisition of Coin Master aims to provide a localized digital asset trading platform that complies with local regulations, thereby strengthening Gate's commitment to meet the specific needs of Japanese users and further expanding its business operations in Japan.