Mastercard (MA) is taking another swing at smoothing out the roughest part of crypto. The company is rolling out verified, human-readable aliases for self-custody wallets so users can send and receive crypto without copying long wallet strings. The launch leans on Polygon for onchain support and Mercuryo for identity verification, according to a Tuesday release.
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Raj Dhamodharan, executive vice president of blockchain and digital assets at Mastercard, said the goal is centers on building trust in digital token transfers. “By streamlining wallet addresses and adding meaningful verification, Mastercard Crypto Credential is building trust in digital token transfers,” he said.
Once Mercuryo verifies a user’s identity, they can attach a simple username to their wallet or request a soulbound token that proves the address belongs to a verified individual. The aliases work across supported applications on Polygon.
Mastercard Simplifies Self-Custody Transfers
Mastercard said the expansion aims to cut down on user mistakes created by copying long hexadecimal strings and to give self-custody transactions a payment flow that feels closer to traditional rails. Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, framed the moment succinctly, saying, “This partnership marks the moment when self-custody becomes simple.”
Mercuryo, which is issuing the first wave of aliases, said demand has been rising for crypto tools that are secure, straightforward and still allow users to control their own wallets. The company expects the username system to ease friction that has historically pushed some users toward custodial services.
Mastercard Expands Its Web3 Strategy
Mastercard has been building a deeper presence in crypto throughout 2024 and 2025. The company launched debit cards with Kraken across Europe, and it recently partnered with MetaMask on a self-custody payments card. The new alias rollout is the latest piece of that strategy.
The company also partnered with Chainlink in June so its three billion cardholders can buy crypto directly onchain. The system uses Shift4 Payments, Swapper Finance, XSwap and ZeroHash, with ZeroHash supplying liquidity to convert fiat into digital assets. Chainlink (LINK-USD) said the Swapper Finance version is fully non-custodial and uses account abstraction to make the experience familiar for traditional card users.
The rollout signals a broader push by Mastercard to blend mainstream payment habits with decentralized tools in a way that reduces friction without taking custody away from the user.
Is Mastercard a Good Stock to Buy?
Wall Street remains broadly positive on Mastercard. Based on 20 analyst reviews over the past three months, the stock carries a Strong Buy rating. 17 analysts recommend a Buy, and three maintain a Hold rating. None recommend a Sell.
The average 12-month MA price target sits at $690.04, which represents roughly 29% upside.
