Mastercard Head of Crypto: Stablecoins Are Useful, But Will Not Replace Traditional Protections

ccn.comPublicado em 2025-09-02Última atualização em 2025-09-02

Key Takeaways

Mastercard sees stablecoins as useful for settlements but not a replacement for its protections.
Payments app Oobit spoke out against Rau’s comments, highlighting survey data showing strong adoption of stablecoins.
The company is broadening its crypto services through fiat-to-crypto conversions and crypto-backed payment cards.

Mastercard is deepening its involvement in digital assets but maintains that stablecoins will serve as complementary tools rather than full replacements for existing payment systems, according to Christian Rau, the company’s head of crypto for Europe.

In an interview with The Big Whale, Rau stressed that while stablecoins are useful for settlements, they cannot replace the added protections that Mastercard and other traditional networks provide.

New Trending Crypto Wallet Offers

Kraken

promotions

Get $10 in Bitcoin when you register through a referral link from an existing member.

Coins

Claim Offer

Bitkey

promotions

Trusted, Secure and Crypto Friendly

Coins

–

Claim Offer

Blockstream

promotions

Trusted, Secure & Crypto Friendly

Coins

–

Claim Offer

Mastercard’s Crypto Services

Mastercard has already launched services enabling users to move between fiat and digital currencies, as well as cards backed by crypto accounts.

According to the company, the principle behind these cards is simple, when a payment is made, the crypto is converted into traditional currency so merchants receive fiat seamlessly.

Over the past year, the payments giant has also partnered with firms such as MetaMask to allow customers to spend crypto directly in stores.

Rau noted that integrating with non-custodial wallets presents greater challenges, requiring technical solutions such as creating “an architecture where a smart contract verifies the availability of funds in real time.”

Stablecoins as Building Blocks

Rau said stablecoins, whose transaction volumes now surpass those of Mastercard, are viewed by the company as useful infrastructure for faster settlements.

“We consider them as a settlement technology,” he told The Big Whale.

“They can improve cross-border payments or reduce exchange rate risks,” he added. “But they do not replace the services we provide, such as protection in case of disputes.”

Mastercard Pushes Network Value

Despite the rise of blockchains with high transaction speeds, Rau underscored that Mastercard’s value lies in its unique protections.

“We process about 5,000 transactions per second, but the challenge is not just speed,” Rau said.

“It’s the entire ecosystem around it (anti-fraud, compliance, recourse) that gives value to our network,” he added.

For Mastercard, this ecosystem has been built through decades of detecting suspicious activity and shaping regulatory compliance across global jurisdictions.

Stablecoin Industry Pushes Back

In response to Rau’s comments, global payments app Oobit challenged the idea that stablecoins are merely a “potential payment technology.”

“In Brazil, 85% want to use crypto for everyday purchases, and 91.8% already hold stablecoins,” the company wrote on X.

“In Europe, over 70% of crypto purchases are within retail purchases, food, and beverages,” it added. “Trust us, it’s more than a ‘potential’ payment technology.”

This data came from Oobit’s July 2025 survey of Brazilian crypto users aged 23–45, which found that 91.8% hold stablecoins, with Tether’s USDT used by 83%.

However, the survey revealed that only 54.3% had ever made a crypto payment, and just 37% had used USDT in real-world transactions, whether online or in-store.

“Brazilian users are among the most advanced crypto participants globally,” Amram Adar, Co-Founder and CEO of Oobit, said in the survey.

“They trust USDT. They’re holding stablecoins. They’re staking, trading, investing, and they’re eager to use crypto in the real world,” he added.

Visit Our Stablecoin Partners

Was this Article helpful? Yes No

Leituras Relacionadas

SKYAI hits monthly lows after 36% drop – Yet THIS group isn’t backing off

SKYAI plummeted 36.2% in 24 hours, hitting monthly lows, with its market cap falling to $238.26M. Despite a 70.85% surge in daily trading volume to $43.16M, the activity was driven by aggressive selling, not buying. Open Interest in derivatives dropped 36.65% to ~$69.66M, indicating traders closed leveraged positions. A modest positive exchange netflow of ~$340.75K signaled some holders moved tokens to exchanges, potentially for future sales. Buyers defended a key support zone around $0.168, preventing an immediate breakdown. However, technical indicators like MACD and Parabolic SAR remained bearish. The token's near-term direction depends on whether this support holds, allowing a potential recovery toward $0.335, or breaks, leading to further declines.

ambcryptoHá 1h

SKYAI hits monthly lows after 36% drop – Yet THIS group isn’t backing off

ambcryptoHá 1h

Humanity Protocol, Kelp DAO stolen funds commingle – Same attacker?

Investigations into the 2026 exploits of Kelp DAO and Humanity Protocol have revealed that stolen funds from both attacks were recently commingled, suggesting a connection between the attackers. Blockchain analyst ZachXBT identified the activity, where 15,403 ETH ($23.6 million) from the Humanity Protocol hack was moved to a new Ethereum address and then to the Bitcoin network, merging with proceeds from the Kelp DAO exploit. Over $8 million of these funds has been laundered using methods associated with groups like the Lazarus Group. The Kelp DAO attack drained about $292 million in April 2026, while Humanity Protocol lost around $32 million in June due to a compromised developer device. This commingling points to a shared external threat actor and highlights ongoing security risks in DeFi.

ambcryptoHá 4h

Humanity Protocol, Kelp DAO stolen funds commingle – Same attacker?

ambcryptoHá 4h

Ethereum ETFs see $12.85M outflows – Why ETH bulls face an uphill battle

Institutional demand for Ethereum (ETH) is weakening as investors reduce exposure to risk assets amid uncertain market conditions. U.S. spot ETH ETFs recently recorded $12.85 million in net outflows, extending a broader slowdown in fund demand despite cumulative net inflows remaining near $11 billion. This reduces institutional capital available to support ETH prices. Consequently, Ethereum now relies more on staking demand, layer-2 activity, and organic spot buying to stabilize prices. An increase in network demand could help absorb excess supply. However, if institutional demand does not recover, ETH faces prolonged consolidation and increased vulnerability to sentiment-driven price swings. On-chain analysis shows significant holdings moving to a new wallet. While not a direct sell signal, similar past movements have preceded liquidity events. If these funds are deposited to exchanges, it could reinforce bearish sentiment and selling pressure. In summary, ETH remains vulnerable due to weak institutional demand and a bearish market structure. Stronger spot demand is needed to offset selling pressure and restore sustained bullish momentum.

ambcryptoHá 5h

Ethereum ETFs see $12.85M outflows – Why ETH bulls face an uphill battle

ambcryptoHá 5h

2028: The Arrival of Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI)

**AI Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI): The Countdown to 2028 Begins** AI is no longer just a trained tool but is starting to rewrite its own evolutionary pace. According to Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark, there is a 60% probability that by the end of 2028, Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI) will become a reality. This means AI could autonomously design and build a more capable next-generation version of itself without any human researcher involvement—Claude 10 creating Claude 11, for instance. Supporting this timeline, Google DeepMind's CEO Demis Hassabis confirms that all leading AI labs are intensely focused on RSI, making it an industry-wide priority. He expresses profound concern, stating this potential is what keeps him awake at night. Concrete data underscores this acceleration: - METR evaluations show current top models like Claude are solving tasks up to the 16-hour limit of existing test frameworks. - In Epoch AI's challenging MirrorCode benchmark, Claude Opus 4.7 recreated complex software in hours for a fraction of the human cost. In one extreme test, AI autonomously coded for 19 days straight. - Anthropic reports over 80% of its codebase is now written by Claude, and researcher productivity has increased up to 8-fold since 2024. - OpenAI's policy blueprint highlights RSI as a major upcoming governance challenge. CEO Sam Altman reportedly hinted RSI might arrive within six months, potentially delaying OpenAI's massive IPO. The implication is an impending "intelligence explosion," where AI-driven progress outpaces human control. The central question is no longer if it will happen, but whether humanity is ready.

marsbitHá 5h

2028: The Arrival of Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI)

marsbitHá 5h

World Models, Metaverse, Digital Twins, Physical AI: Are They the Same Thing?

Title: World Models, the Metaverse, Digital Twins, Physical AI: Are They the Same Thing? The article clarifies that concepts like the metaverse, Web3, simulation platforms, digital twins, and Physical AI are not the same thing but are all part of the broader trend of blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds. It positions "world models" as the foundational "cognitive layer" or "operating system" that enables AI to understand and simulate the world. Key distinctions are made: - The **Metaverse** is a destination for immersive social and economic experiences. World models could act as its "engine," generating interactive 3D content efficiently. - **Web3** focuses on decentralized ownership and economics (rules layer), operating on a different technical level than world models. - **Simulation Data Platforms** (e.g., for autonomous vehicles) are a 1.0 version, relying on manual design. World models represent a 2.0 version, using AI to generate realistic, varied scenarios autonomously. - **Digital Twins** create high-fidelity, real-time mirrors of physical systems (e.g., a factory). World models go a step further by enabling predictive simulation of future states. - **Physical AI** (robots, AVs) refers to AI that acts in the physical world. World models are a core component, providing the understanding and prediction needed for planning. A proposed hierarchy places world models at the cognitive layer, supported by infrastructure (compute, data) and supporting application tools (simulation, digital twins), action systems (Physical AI), user experiences (metaverse), and rules (Web3). In conclusion, while distinct, many of these previously hyped concepts may ultimately rely on advances in world model technology to fulfill their promises, as world models provide the essential cognitive foundation for simulating and interacting with complex environments.

marsbitHá 5h

World Models, Metaverse, Digital Twins, Physical AI: Are They the Same Thing?

marsbitHá 5h

Trading

Spot

Mastercard Head of Crypto: Stablecoins Are Useful, But Will Not Replace Traditional Protections

Kraken

Bitkey

Blockstream

Mastercard’s Crypto Services

Stablecoins as Building Blocks

Mastercard Pushes Network Value

Stablecoin Industry Pushes Back

Leituras Relacionadas

SKYAI hits monthly lows after 36% drop – Yet THIS group isn’t backing off

Humanity Protocol, Kelp DAO stolen funds commingle – Same attacker?

Ethereum ETFs see $12.85M outflows – Why ETH bulls face an uphill battle

2028: The Arrival of Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI)

World Models, Metaverse, Digital Twins, Physical AI: Are They the Same Thing?

Trading

Categorias populares

Etiquetas Populares