From creating a marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to building an air-gapped cold vault to enabling new sustainable digital assets, seven global crypto and digital asset startups join Mastercard’s Start Path program. Two Swiss companies are among them.
Credit card company Mastercard announced a new Start Path global startup engagement program dedicated to supporting fast-growing digital assets, blockchain and cryptocurrency companies. As a continuation of Mastercard’s digital assets work, seven startups have joined the program, including GK8, Domain Money, Mintable, SupraOracles, STACS, Taurus, and Uphold.
Expansion in the blockchain sector
Together with Mastercard, they seek to expand and accelerate innovation around digital asset technology and make it safer and easier for people and institutions to buy, spend and hold cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Founders of the digital asset and blockchain companies participating in the new Start Path program aim to address a host of pain points including asset tokenization, data accuracy, digital security and seamless access between the traditional and digital economy.
“Mastercard has been engaging with the digital currency ecosystem since 2015. As a leading technology player, we believe we can play a key role in digital assets, helping to shape the industry, and provide consumer protections and security. Part of our role is to forge the future of cryptocurrency, and we’re doing that by bridging mainstream financial principles with digital assets innovations.” - Jess Turner, executive vice president of New Digital Infrastructure and Fintech at Mastercard
Each startup is focused on solving a unique industry challenge and, throughout the program, will leverage Mastercard’s expertise to support the continued growth and development of their solutions.
Digital Assets and Fintech Innovation
Supporting the startup ecosystem is a core part of Mastercard’s ethos, and more than 250 startups have participated in the Start Path program since 2014. With the expansion of Start Path to include fast-growing crypto, blockchain and digital assets startups, Mastercard is aiming to provide access to its latest tools and solutions to help these companies scale their innovations and cutting-edge technologies. These startups use the program to connect with our ecosystem of banks, merchants, partners and digital players across the globe to deliver new solutions.
About the two Swiss startups
Taurus offers an infrastructure to manage all digital assets through a single platform. Thus, Taurus offers one-stop issuance and custody, trading and asset servicing of cryptocurrencies and other tokenized assets.
SupraOracles is an oracle company that helps connect real-world data to public and private blockchains and supports smart contract interoperability. This with the goal of automating, simplifying and securing the future of financial markets.
