Share this article
Mastercard Hints at Plans for Blockchain Settlement System
A new patent application from Mastercard indicates that the payments giant may be looking to integrate blockchain into its payments infrastructure.
By Nikhilesh De
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 6:57 a.m. Published Sep 22, 2017, 1:00 p.m.
Mastercard may be looking to integrate blockchain into its payments infrastructure.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a new application from the financial giant this week that outlines a solution for a "uniform settlement system" – one that would help ease some of the friction involved with business-to-business payments. Specific issues cited in the application include growing data storage demands and the overall volume of transactions.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Notably, Mastercard suggests in the text that such a system could include a blockchain-based ledger of transactions.
As the application explains:
"In some embodiments, the ledger may be a blockchain configured to store the associated data. ... In the system, the data values may include the purchase orders, invoices, transaction data, and other data stored in the ledger as discussed herein."
Mastercard clarified that the blockchain would be able to automatically note all changes made to the ledger, creating a verifiable and immutable record of all data. As a result, malicious users would be unable to modify transactions in the system.
The entry represents the latest intellectual property play by Mastercard that invokes blockchain, in a series of applications that goes back to 2014. Most recently, in August, the USPTO published an application related to cryptocurrency-based refunds.
Disclosure: MasterCard is an investor in CoinDesk's parent company, Digital Currency Group.
Mastercard image via Shutterstock
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Barclays Sees ‘Down-Year’ for Crypto in 2026 Without Big Catalysts
Spot trading volumes are cooling, and investor enthusiasm is fading amid a lack of structural growth drivers, analysts wrote in a new report.
What to know:
- Barclays forecasts lower crypto trading volumes in 2026, with no clear catalysts to revive market activity.
- Spot market slowdowns pose revenue challenges for retail-focused platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood, the bank said.
- Regulatory clarity, including pending market structure legislation, could shape long-term market growth despite near-term headwinds.
Top Stories
