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The Layer 1 network’s validator set is permissioned, and Circle has minted 10 billion ARC tokens without committing to publicly launch them.

Mastercard said the portfolio will allow wallet providers introduce new use cases “without significant changes” to infrastructure.
Mastercard has opened a new front in the agentic commerce race. The payments giant’s Start Path program has admitted its inaugural cohort of startups focused specifically on agent-driven commerce infrastructure, signaling that the financial services establishment is ready to treat autonomous AI agents as legitimate participants in the payments ecosystem. The cohort includes 22 to […]

Bill Ackman unveiled six new holdings including Netflix, Visa and Mastercard, marking the billionaire investor's biggest portfolio overhaul in years. Ackman said on Thursday he acquired shares starting in the second quarter that will be held in his investment funds including his newest offering Pershing Square USA, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in April. Along with Netflix, which Ackman held briefly in 2022 before selling at a loss, his funds are also investing in eye care firm Alcon, exchange operator Intercontinental Exchange and financial data provider S&P Global.

Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square made investments in six new public companies since the end of March: Visa Mastercard Netflix S&P Global Intercontinental Exchange Alcon The additions were disclosed in a letter to shareholders that accompanied Pershing Square’s quarterly earnings release, the firm’s first since it went public in April.
Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL) launched its Arc blockchain in September, expanding its focus beyond USDC. Arc is being positioned as core infrastructure for institutional blockchain use, with an emphasis on compliance and integration with traditional finance. Founding validators on Arc include BlackRock, DTCC, Mastercard, Visa, ICE, and Standard Chartered. Circle's CEO has described Arc as a potentially larger long term opportunity than USDC, signaling an evolving strategy toward broader...
Mastercard (NYSE:MA), Citi and American Airlines launched expanded benefits for the Citi /AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard. The refresh introduces broader lounge access, higher rewards accrual, travel credits and upgraded hotel and car rental perks. The card now sits on Mastercard's new World Legend benefits tier, aimed at frequent American Airlines travelers in the premium segment. This update sits squarely in Mastercard's core business of powering payment networks and...
Mastercard launched a new Scam Merchant Monitoring Program that pushes acquiring banks to investigate suspected fraud within strict timelines. The company is expanding stablecoin settlement support, including through its acquisition of BVNK and a focus on deeper banking as a service offerings. These moves aim to tighten consumer protection and build out Mastercard’s infrastructure for stablecoin linked payments. Mastercard, traded as NYSE:MA, is leaning further into both fraud prevention...
Mastercard (NYSE:MA) has launched Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M), a platform for secure payments between AI agents. The AP4M system connects traditional payment networks with stablecoin settlement on public blockchains. The launch brings together credentialed identity frameworks and partnerships with major fintech players to support autonomous transactions. For investors watching how payments evolve beyond cards and phones, Mastercard is pushing into machine to machine commerce with AP4M...
The venture will issue a US-dollar pegged stablecoin called Open USD later this year.
For years, holding stablecoins in a crypto wallet meant your money sat idle, earning nothing, disconnected from everyday spending. MetaMask is trying to change that. MetaMask, the self-custodial crypto wallet used by millions, launched Money Account on June 30, a new feature that combines earning, ...
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) carries a profit margin of 45.88% and net income of $14.97 billion (FY25), securing its place on our list of the most profitable blue chip stocks to buy according to hedge funds, with analysts seeing 32.80% upside for the stock. That bullish outlook comes as Mastercard rolls out new infrastructure aimed at […]
According to Mastercard, AP4M supports credentialing, transaction controls and settlement across multiple payment types.
Agent Pay for Machines is one of a slew of recent attempts from big companies to build payment networks optimized for AI.
IBM is investing $5 billion and deploying more than 20,000 engineers to help secure open source software, according to an announcement shared first with Axios.
Users will now be able to buy, sell, hold, and convert their SoFiUSD holdings to U.S. dollars directly in the SoFi app, the company announces.
Cryptocurrency payments firm MoonPay has launched a new stablecoin debit card that enables users to spend directly ...