Overview
- Jason Oxman once predicted legacy payment firms would partner with Bitcoin startups, but that specific wave of Bitcoin integrations did not take hold in the years that followed.
- During Oxman’s ETA leadership, BitPay was the lone Bitcoin-focused member of the trade group and the broader predicted partnership trend failed to materialize.
- Major payment networks shifted strategy toward stablecoins and in-house crypto infrastructure, with Visa expanding a stablecoin settlement pilot to nine blockchains and reporting a $7 billion annualized settlement rate.
- Mastercard has grown a Crypto Partner Program to more than 100 participants and Visa with Bridge have announced plans to roll out stablecoin-linked cards to over 100 countries by the end of 2026.
- Trade groups and regulators have adapted: the ETA now has a Digital Assets committee and BitPay gained MiCA authorization in the Netherlands, steps that pave the way for faster merchant settlement but require firms to meet strict compliance rules.