On Feb. 10, Mastercard (NYSE:MA) announced that it would start supporting a select few cryptocurrencies on its payment network. According to the payments giant, the inclusion of cryptocurrencies will allow customers to “save, store and send money in new ways” while opening up new opportunities for merchants as well.
The announcement followed a presentation on Jan. 30 in which Visa (NYSE:V) reaffirmed its plans to continue to push for cryptocurrency payments and on-ramps, showing that the company has long-term plans for the sector. With both credit card giants on board, it’s safe to say that Bitcoin (BTC) is no longer just an experimental form of “internet money” but rather a new asset class of its own — one that is here to stay.