7 Startups Join Mastercard Program to Make Cryptocurrency More Accessible

Payments giant Mastercard has added seven startups to its Start Path program to make cryptocurrencies more accessible. “We’re welcoming a new cohort of startups to ease access to digital assets, build communities for creators and empower people to innovate for the future through Web3 technologies,” said Mastercard.

Payments giant Mastercard announced Thursday that seven startups from around the world have joined its Start Path program. The announcement details:

Through the Mastercard Start Path global startup engagement program, we work with digital asset, blockchain and cryptocurrency-based companies that share a vision to make blockchain technology and digital assets more accessible.

“We’re welcoming a new cohort of startups to ease access to digital assets, build communities for creators and empower people to innovate for the future through Web3 technologies,” the payments company added.

The startups are Singapore-based Digital Treasures Center, Abu Dhabi-based Fasset, U.S.-based Loot Bolt, U.S.-based Quadrata, Colombia-based Stable, Dubai-based TBTM (Take Back the Mic) Studios, and U.S.-based Uptop.

They will join more than 350 companies from 40 countries that have participated in Mastercard’s Start Path program since 2014.

“NFTs [non-fungible tokens], blockchain gaming, and metaverse experiences could transform how consumers shop and communicate,” Mastercard described. “However, we need to collaborate and bring together tech, banking, fintech, and crypto to unlock this potential.” The company elaborated:

There is no single vision for the crypto economy other than anyone who uses crypto should be able to do so simply and safely. For Mastercard, it’s about offering choice in how people pay, spend and buy crypto.

Mastercard is focusing on five key areas to turn crypto into an everyday way to pay. Last month, the company introduced a new program called Crypto Source to enable financial institutions to offer cryptocurrency trading and related services to their customers.

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