Visa Crushes It: Grabs 90%+ of All On-Chain Crypto Card Volume – Mastercard Eating Dust!
Boom! Visa just flexed HARD on the blockchain, snatching over 90% of on-chain crypto card transaction volume while Mastercard watches from the sidelines. Despite both giants running 130+ crypto programs, Visa's sneaky early partnerships have locked in the rails. As Cointelegraph blasted: 'Early infrastructure edge = total domination.' Crypto payments hitting $18B annualized – is this TradFi's masterstroke for mass adoption? Buckle up, degens – the future of spending just got real!
Picture this: You're swiping your crypto card at Starbucks, USDC zipping on-chain via Solana or Eth. Who gets the cut? Visa, 9 times out of 10. Why? Not raw program count – both Visa and Mastercard boast 130+ crypto card initiatives worldwide. The killer? Timing and infrastructure. Visa dove in early, inking deals with crypto-native powerhouses like Rain and Reap. As @green_but_red nailed it on X: 'Integrate with the infra layer, not single exchanges – boom, access to DOZENS of cards via ONE hookup.' Artemis Analytics' bombshell report spills the tea: Crypto card spend exploded to $18B annualized run-rate by early 2026, fueled by stablecoins shifting from P2P hype to everyday buys. Stablecoin cards now rival direct transfers, with Visa carrying the load on Ethereum, Polygon, Solana rails. Insights4vc's deep dive echoes: 'Visa dominates >90% despite parity in programs.' Mastercard's playing catch-up, launching pilots galore, but Visa built the bridges first. Simon Taylor on LinkedIn: '106% CAGR – Visa's winning the volume war.' Bold claim: This ain't coincidence. Visa tokenized pilots on Eth years back, while Mastercard chased. Result? Visa's rails hum with real volume – think neobanks, full-stack issuers pumping stablecoin spend. CoinDesk confirms: Stablecoin use exploding for groceries, gas, flights. Visa didn't just enter crypto; they OWNED the on-ramp. Short para bombs: First-mover moat. Network effects. Fee feast. Crypto's payment revolution? Visa's writing the script.
Markets are quaking! This dominance turbocharges crypto adoption – $18B card volume means stables like USDC/USDT flowing mainstream, bullish AF for ETH, SOL, AVAX chains hosting the action. Bearish for pure DeFi dreamers: TradFi skims fees on YOUR crypto spend. Visa/MC duopoly squeezes pure on-chain plays, but accelerates normie entry. BTC holders? Indirect win – cards bridge fiat-to-crypto ramps. Mastercard bruised: Same programs, crumbs of volume. Expect catch-up frenzy – more pilots, deeper integrations. Overall? Payments sector explodes, crypto market cap gets a legitimacy boost. Yahoo Finance: 'Shifting to everyday payments.' Watch stables moon as card rails scale to trillions.
Visa didn't just dip a toe – they conquered the blockchain payment ocean with 90% on-chain card supremacy. Early bets paying dividends, proving TradFi's infra edge is kryptonite to laggards. Mastercard, step up or get sidelined! Forward fire: Crypto cards = gateway drug to full on-chain economy. $18B today, $180B tomorrow? Grab your stablecoin card, swipe away – the revolution's here, and Visa's driving. Who's next to eat their lunch? Stay locked, crypto fam!