The potential acquisition would mark one of Mastercard’s largest crypto bets yet, expanding its stablecoin and tokenization infrastructure amid growing competition. Mastercard is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire crypto and stablecoin infrastructure startup zerohash in a deal valued from $1.5 billion to $2 billion, according to multiple sources familiar with the negotiations. The news, reported by Fortune on Wednesday, follows earlier efforts by Mastercard to expand its footprint in stablecoin infrastructure. The global payments giant previously explored acquiring BVNK, a London-based stablecoin startup, in a deal valued near $2 billion, according to sources familiar with the talks. Read more
Securitize and BNY Mellon are bringing AAA-rated collateralized loan obligations onchain, with Grove planning a $100M anchor as institutional demand for tokenized assets grows. Securitize, a real-world asset tokenization platform, has unveiled a tokenized fund designed to give investors access to AAA-rated collateralized loan obligations onchain. The fund is being developed in partnership with global investment bank BNY Mellon. According to Wednesday’s announcement, BNY will safeguard the fund’s underlying assets, while a subsidiary of the bank will manage the fund’s portfolio. With global collateralized loan obligation issuance topping $1.3 trillion, Securitize and BNY aim to bring AAA-rated floating-rate credit onchain, the company said. Read more