Zerohash, a company specializing in stablecoin infrastructure, has just joined the exclusive group of the first cryptocurrency service providers authorized by the EU MiCA regulation. This is not only a technical milestone, but above all great timing, especially since industry rumors whisper about a gigantic acquisition.
Zerohash with a license that opens the door to Europe
On Sunday, Zerohash Europe announced that it had obtained a license from the Dutch Financial Supervisory Authority (AFM). The official registry confirmed the company’s status as a Registered Cryptocurrency Service Provider (CASP). What does this mean in practice? Zerohash can now offer stablecoin and crypto product services to banks, fintechs and payment platforms in 30 countries in the European Economic Area.
This is a strategic position – Zerohash becomes the backbone for organizations exploring tokenized assets and blockchain in finance. Not the loudest, but effective.
Mastercard on the horizon? USD 2 billion speaks for itself
Zerohash, founded in 2017, serves clients such as Morgan Stanley, Franklin Templeton and Stripe. But the real excitement is stirred by Fortune’s report from Wednesday, because, according to anonymous sources, Mastercard is in advanced talks about acquiring the startup for an amount between USD 1.5 and 2 billion.
If the rumors are true, it will be another strong move by the payments giant towards stablecoins. And Mastercard does not hide its ambitions – giants are entering stablecoins and these are no longer rumors, but facts!
Mastercard is serious about stablecoins
In August, the company announced that it would enable transaction settlement in USDC and EURC for merchants in the EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa) region. The pioneers of this service will be Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services – it is the first settlement option of this type in the region. In September, Mastercard went a step further by collaborating with the central bank of Kazakhstan and the Solana blockchain on a pilot project for the KZTE stablecoin, pegged to the local tenge currency. The project was launched on September 23 as part of the regulatory sandbox.
Zerohash with the MiCA license is strengthening its position right at the moment when Mastercard is expanding its stablecoin empire. Case? Rather, a precisely calculated move on the chessboard of global finance.
