Mastercard Opens Direct Access to Crypto Purchases on DEXs

Mastercard cardholders can now purchase cryptocurrency directly on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), eliminating the need for intermediaries.

Mastercard and Chainlink joined forces to launch Swapper Finance — a new service that enables Mastercard cardholders to purchase cryptocurrency directly on decentralized exchanges like Uniswap, fully integrated with traditional payment infrastructure.

Swapper Finance is built on the infrastructure of XSwap, the largest decentralized exchange developed within the Chainlink ecosystem. The project is supported by key infrastructure partners zerohash and Shift4 Payments, which provide compliance, custody services, and fiat transaction processing.

The purchase process is structured as follows:

1. The user initiates a transaction through the Swapper interface or an integrated widget.
2. Shift4 submits the payment request to the Mastercard network and handles real-time fiat-to-crypto conversion.
3. zerohash transfers an intermediary token — such as a stablecoin — to the Swapper smart contract.
4. Chainlink validates the transaction metadata and transmits the order instructions to the DEX smart contract.
5. Swapper executes the token swap on Uniswap, after which the user receives the desired token in their wallet. 

Swapper Finance represents a breakthrough in driving mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency by removing common barriers such as complex wallet setups and limited access to exchange services. The platform delivers regulatory compliance, security, and accessibility — paving the way for the evolution of commercial use cases for on-chain solutions in the future.

Raj Dhamodharan, Executive Vice President of Blockchain & Digital Assets at Mastercard, emphasized that the launch of Swapper Finance marks a tangible integration of crypto finance into the global payments ecosystem. Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov added that the initiative represents the first large-scale convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Notably, other major players in the TradFi sector are also collaborating to advance cross-border payment infrastructure. In June 2025, for example, Deutsche Bank and Ant International expanded their strategic partnership to accelerate the development of cross-border transactions using stablecoins and tokenized deposits.