Blogs & Articles: Mastercard Introduces Non-Custodial Bitcoin Debit Card Denominated in Euros 🔗 11 days ago

Mastercard has partnered with Mercury, a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payments provider, to launch a euro-denominated debit card that enables users to spend Bitcoin and other digital assets directly from non-custodial wallets.

The card allows European Bitcoin users to make payments from self-hosted wallets at any of Mastercard's network of over 100 million merchants globally, without requiring users to store their funds with an intermediary.

Mastercard, a major player in the payments industry, currently serves nearly 1 billion customers across more than 210 countries. This initiative reflects the company's broader strategy to integrate Bitcoin into its existing payments infrastructure.

"We are providing consumers who want to spend their digital assets with an easy, reliable, and secure way to do so, anywhere Mastercard is accepted," stated Christian Rau, Senior Vice President of Mastercard's cryptocurrency unit.

The card enables users to link their non-custodial wallets, allowing them to spend Bitcoin and other digital assets directly, without needing to sell their assets on an exchange beforehand. 

The card comes with associated fees, including a €1.6 issuance fee, a €1 monthly maintenance fee, and a 0.95% transaction fee.

This development caters to those who prefer transacting from self-hosted wallets rather than centralized exchanges.