Mastercard to Acquire Cryptocurrency Intelligence Company CipherTrace

Mastercard, a global technology company in the payments industry, has reached an agreement to acquire CipherTrace, a leading cryptocurrency intelligence company.

Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed, and the acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year, pending certain conditions.

According to the official press release, the integrated offering will build on CipherTrace’s suite of digital assets and Mastercard’s cyber security solutions to provide businesses with greater transparency to help identify and understand their risks and to help manage their digital asset regulatory and compliance obligations.

With the new deal, Mastercard will be able to combine the technology, AI and cyber capabilities of both companies to differentiate its card and real-time payments infrastructure, allowing customers and stakeholders globally to build upon and benefit from the solutions to protect their consumers and comply with regulations, as they build their own virtual asset offerings.   

Recently, Mastercard announced to acquire Aiia​, a European leading open banking platform, for the purpose of extending its open banking reach. The deal is expected to close by the end of this year, and is subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.