A Strategic Partnership Between Bitget and Mastercard
Bitget Wallet, the flagship wallet of Bitget exchange, has just announced a major partnership with payment giant Mastercard and infrastructure provider Immersve to launch an innovative crypto card. This strategic collaboration aims to simplify the use of cryptocurrencies in everyday transactions and accelerate their global adoption.
The new card will allow users to pay directly from their digital wallets at more than 150 million merchants worldwide, wherever Mastercard is accepted. This represents a significant advancement that transforms digital assets into practical and accessible payment methods for everyday purchases.
“Digital wallets are rapidly becoming as ubiquitous as email addresses,” said Scott Abrahams, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships at Mastercard. “We are committed to working with innovative companies like Bitget Wallet and Immersve to make crypto transactions simple, secure, and accessible at scale. This is a crucial step in bringing digital assets closer to mainstream utility.”
A Fee-Free, Self-Custody Crypto Card
The Bitget Wallet card distinguishes itself through several innovative features that position it advantageously in the crypto card market :
- Self-custody of funds : Unlike many crypto cards that require depositing assets on a centralized platform, the Bitget card allows users to maintain complete control of their cryptocurrencies
- USDC-based : The card uses the stablecoin USDC to ensure transaction stability
- Instant approval : Users can obtain their digital card in just minutes
- Zero loading fees : No fees are applied when funding the card
- Rewards program : Bonuses for identity verification and optional transaction-based rewards
- Yield on inactive balances : Opportunity to generate interest on unused funds
“Crypto payments should be as seamless and secure as traditional transactions,” emphasized Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet. “We’re seeing massive demand for practical crypto applications in real life, and our collaboration with Mastercard and Immersve provides the necessary infrastructure to achieve this.”
A Phased Global Rollout
Initially, the Bitget Wallet card will be launched in the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area. The company has already announced expansion plans “in the coming months” to other strategic regions :
- Latin America
- Australia
- New Zealand
This phased deployment strategy echoes the impressive growth Bitget Wallet has experienced in certain emerging regions. Earlier this year, Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet, highlighted the explosion in user numbers in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an increase of more than 1,000% in 2024.
With over 80 million users worldwide, Bitget Wallet has a solid foundation to deploy its new payment card and accelerate cryptocurrency adoption in retail commerce.
Cutting-Edge Technology for Bitget
The Bitget Wallet crypto card leverages Mastercard Digital First technology to offer a fully digital experience. Users can request the card directly from the Bitget Wallet app and add it to their mobile wallet in minutes, allowing them to use it immediately at both physical and online merchants.
The partnership with Immersve, a principal member of the Mastercard network and registered financial service provider, enables transactions to be settled on the blockchain through crypto-to-fiat conversion. This process complies with Mastercard’s regulatory requirements, particularly regarding KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering).
The card supports real-time funding via blockchain exchanges and deposits, offering maximum flexibility to users.
The launch of this card is therefore part of Bitget Wallet’s PayFi (Payment Finance) strategy, unveiled last January. This initiative aims to redefine the role of cryptocurrencies in personal finance, transforming them from passive investments into active financial tools for everyday use.
This vision aligns with Mastercard’s perspective, which considers facilitating simple, secure, and accessible crypto transactions at scale as “a crucial step in bringing digital assets closer to mainstream utility.”
Jerome Faury, CEO of Immersve, added: “Collaborating with teams like Mastercard and Bitget Wallet is exactly how we develop real-world crypto usage. We enable users to spend crypto as easily as they spend fiat currency, on a global scale.”
This announcement was made during the Ethereum Community Conference, highlighting the importance of this innovation for the crypto ecosystem as a whole.
In summary, for cryptocurrency holders, this card offers a practical solution for using their digital assets in everyday life without having to convert them to fiat currency beforehand via exchange platforms. For the entire crypto ecosystem, this type of partnership with major players like Mastercard strengthens the legitimacy and utility of digital currencies.
The card is now available through the Bitget Wallet app for users in the UK and EU, with expansions planned to other regions in the coming months :
Caution : Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks, including partial or total loss of your capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
