Mastercard is expanding its Crypto Credential program to self-custody wallets, allowing users to send and receive cryptocurrencies using verified, username-style aliases instead of long wallet addresses.
Polygon will be the first blockchain to support the rollout, while payments firm Mercuryo will handle identity verification and issue the aliases to users, according to a Tuesday press release shared with Cointelegraph.
“By streamlining wallet addresses and adding meaningful verification, Mastercard Crypto Credential is building trust in digital token transfers,” said Raj Dhamodharan, executive vice president of blockchain and digital assets at Mastercard.
Once verified by Mercuryo, users can link a human-readable alias to their self-custody wallet or request a soulbound token on Polygon that proves the wallet belongs to a verified individual.
Mastercard Aims to Make Self-Custody Crypto Transfers Safer
Mastercard said the move is aimed at reducing errors caused by copying long hexadecimal addresses and that the system is designed to function more like traditional payment rails.
“This partnership marks the moment when self-custody becomes simple,” said Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs.
Mercuryo, the first issuer for the program, said the rollout reflects rising demand for secure but user-friendly crypto experiences that don’t require giving up wallet sovereignty.
Mastercard has been accelerating its crypto strategy throughout 2024 and 2025, launching debit cards with Kraken across Europe and partnering with MetaMask on a self-custody payments card.
Mastercard Taps Chainlink to Bring On-Chain Crypto Purchases
In June, Mastercard partnered with Chainlink to enable its three billion cardholders to buy crypto directly onchain, marking one of the credit-card giant’s largest steps into Web3.
The rollout relies on several Web3 partners, including Shift4 Payments, Swapper Finance, XSwap and ZeroHash, with ZeroHash supplying onchain liquidity to convert fiat into crypto. Chainlink said the version available through Swapper Finance is fully non-custodial and uses account abstraction to make the process familiar for everyday users.