PANews reported on March 12 that, according to Bloomberg, Mastercard announced the launch of a new global partner program, recruiting more than 85 digital asset companies, payment service providers, and financial institutions, including Circle, Binance, and Gemini, to join. The program aims to keep crypto payments connected to its network, while stablecoins are being promoted as an alternative to traditional payment tracks.
Both Mastercard and Visa have had stablecoin plans since 2021, betting that they can become an integral part of the companies driving the adoption of stablecoins in everyday payments.



Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin defended his blockchain’s 45-day exit queue after Galaxy Digital’s head of digital called it “troubling,” sparking backlash. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has finally addressed some concerns over the lengthening Ethereum staking exit queue, which has now grown to 45 days. His response came after Galaxy Digital’s head of DeFi, Michael Marcantonio, called the exit queue length “troubling” on X and compared it to Solana which only needs two days to unstake. He has since deleted the posts. However, Buterin seemingly took a more ideological stance on the subject, describing unstaking from Ethereum as “more like a soldier deciding to quit the army,” adding that staking is more about “taking on a solemn duty to defend the chain.”Read more