Overview
- Mastercard agreed to acquire stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, a deal analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods called a critical long‑term move and the largest stablecoin transaction reported so far.
- Visa introduced Visa CLI to let AI agents execute card payments and reported contactless tap‑to‑pay now accounts for 80% of face‑to‑face transactions.
- Stripe and blockchain venture Tempo launched the Machine Payments Protocol to let AI systems autonomously pay for services, with launch partners including Anthropic, OpenAI, DoorDash, Shopify, Revolut, Visa, and Mastercard; Tempo previously raised $500 million.
- Visa, Mastercard, and American Express shares are down roughly 18–23% from record highs as investors weigh stablecoin competition and President Trump’s proposed 10% credit‑card interest‑rate cap.
- Stablecoin settlement is gaining scale and cost advantages, with 2025 volume reported at $33 trillion, and a Citrini Research note warned AI agents could route around 2–3% interchange fees by using on‑chain payments; even so, Wall Street projects sector revenue near $163 billion this year.