Key takeaways
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Mastercard is in talks to purchase Zero Hash, following previous interest in BVNK, with the aim of achieving a stable 24/7 settlement.
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The deals could give Mastercard a turnkey on-chain payments stack, accelerating its move from pilot to production.
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Stablecoin-based settlement would allow banks and merchants to transact continuously, bypassing batch cuts and weekend delays.
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Yet operational, compliance and liquidity challenges mean a hybrid phase will likely persist before full 24/7 adoption.
Mastercard is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire crypto infrastructure provider Zero Hash for between $1.5 billion and $2 billion after previously exploring a similar-sized deal for stablecoin platform BVNK.
Rather than building each onchain component itself, Mastercard appears to be exploring acquiring a stable turnkey infrastructure provider that could be connected to its existing payments network. If this comes to fruition, it could accelerate settlement beyond the traditional business day constraints to a more continuous 24/7/365 model.
What the $2 Billion Rumors Really Buy
Zero Hash and BVNK do similar work for institutions. They provide regulated custody, conversions, payments, and orchestration that allow banks, brokers, or processors to move between fiat currencies and stablecoins without rebuilding compliance from scratch.
Integrating one or both into Mastercard would accelerate its roadmap from pilot to production, bringing licensing footprints and customer integrations from day one. These negotiations may not be guaranteed to succeed, but the strategic intent is clear.
Why “banking hours” are starting to fade away
Even today, card payments are reconciled via batch windows, weekday cutoff dates, and corresponding channels. Stablecoins operate beyond the limits of bank opening hours. Mastercard has already laid two key scaffolding elements for this world:
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Multi-Token Network (MTN): A toolkit for secure, programmable transactions on tokenized money and assets.
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Cryptographic identifier: A verification layer that allows exchanges and wallets to transact using human-readable identifiers while maintaining compliance controls.
Add stablecoin settlement to this stack, and acquirers can receive funds at any time, net on-chain bonds, and sweep treasuries in minutes instead of T+1 or T+2.
Did you know? In August 2025, Mastercard’s Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa division launched a program with Circle that allows acquirers to settle into USDC (USDC) or EURC (EURC) and pay merchants directly from these balances.
How would it work
A customer pays with a linked card or wallet. Instead of waiting for the fiduciary batches to close, the buyer can choose to receive payment in stable coins. Obligations between issuers and acquirers are then cleared on-chain through approved custody and liquidity partners.
Treasury teams can then scan funds in near real time, apply programmable rules for foreign exchange (FX) rates and fees, and convert them back to fiat currency if necessary. An acquisition like Zero Hash would provide the custody and payment foundation, while BVNK adds enterprise-grade stablecoin orchestration.
For banks and processors, this means fewer vendors to onboard and faster time to market.
What changes for the ecosystem
For banks and acquirers, standing settlement reduces pre-funding requirements and daylight overdraft risk while easing weekend and holiday bottlenecks.
However, this also introduces new responsibilities. On-chain monitoring, key management, and smart contract risk controls must all meet card network standards.
For traders and treasurers, seamless settlement via stablecoins can improve working capital efficiency and streamline reconciliation. Some may choose to hold stablecoins for a portion of their flows, while others will automatically convert to local currency. Regardless, transparent on-chain records simplify audits and shorten litigation timelines.
For cross-border payments, stablecoins shorten correspondent chains and keep payment corridors open outside of business hours. Although they do not remove all the complexity of foreign exchange or tax transactions, they can significantly reduce the mechanical frictions that currently make international payments slow and unpredictable.
What could further slow down the move to 24/7
24/7 settlement is within reach, but a few obstacles could slow down the transition:
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Fiat ramp limits: Automated clearing house and single euro payment zone limits, real-time gross settlement maintenance windows, and bank compliance approvals may reintroduce “business hours” when moving from crypto to cash.
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Operational risk: Key retention, smart contract bugs, on-chain congestion, and reserve or unpeg issues require thorough audits, incident response plans, and appropriate insurance coverage.
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Compliance and accounting reality: Ongoing anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions controls, travel rule requirements, dispute and chargeback handling, and enterprise resource planning or reporting workflows need to be redesigned for continuous resolution. Many treasurers are still likely to automatically convert to fiat currency in the early stages.
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Market and supplier constraints: Liquidity can decrease depending on location or time of day, and spreads often widen during times of stress. Stablecoin issuer governance, Oracle reliability, custody connectivity, and network fees can all become bottlenecks at scale.
In short, expect a hybrid phase where on-chain settlement continues to grow as fiat infrastructure, policies, and back-office tools catch up.
What to watch next
A few indicators will help us know if “bank opening hours” are disappearing for good:
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A Zero Hash acquisition finalized
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A definitive result of negotiations with BVNK, whether or not an agreement is reached and why
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USDC and EURC settlement expands to new regions and acquirers with significant volumes
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MTN and Crypto Credential deployments are progressing from pilots to live bank or processor deployments.
If these elements fall into place, regulation will begin to follow the needs of the business rather than the clock.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research before making a decision.
