🔥 MetaMask Debit Card

TL;DR:

MetaMask is rolling out a blockchain-based debit card in partnership with Mastercard and Baanx. Initially available in a pilot phase in the EU and UK, the card lets users make direct purchases using crypto assets like USDC, USDT, and wETH from their MetaMask wallet. This move highlights the growing integration of blockchain with traditional finance, offering more flexibility and access to financial services globally.

MetaMask begins rollout of blockchain-based debit card with Mastercard and Baanx

MetaMask, the widely-used self-custodial crypto wallet, has started rolling out its new blockchain-based debit card, developed in partnership with Mastercard and crypto payments specialist Baanx.

Key features:

• Limited pilot launch: The MetaMask Card is initially available to a few thousand users in the EU and UK during a pilot phase. A broader rollout in these regions, along with other areas, is expected later this year.

• Direct crypto payments: The card allows users to make purchases directly from their MetaMask wallet, using USDC, USDT, and wETH assets on the Linea network, an Ethereum layer-2 solution developed by Consensys.

• Integration with traditional finance: This launch highlights the growing intersection between traditional financial services and blockchain. The card works like a typical debit card but lets users maintain custody of their digital assets until the point of payment.

• Global financial access: Simon Jones, Chief Commercial Officer at Baanx, emphasized the card's potential to provide basic financial services to unbanked and underbanked individuals worldwide.

Why it matters:

This new offering from MetaMask, Mastercard, and Baanx represents a significant step towards making crypto more accessible and usable in everyday transactions. It underscores the ongoing integration of blockchain technology into traditional financial systems, offering users more flexibility and control over their digital assets.