Mastercard obtains New York BitLicense

Global payments giant Mastercard has obtained a BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), CoinDesk reported. The license allows the company to legally operate digital asset-related businesses in the U.S. Mastercard announced today that its U.S. subsidiary, Mastercard Transaction Services, secured the license as part of its efforts to build a blockchain-based payment and settlement infrastructure. Jorn Lambert, Mastercard's Chief Product Officer (CPO), said that a clear regulatory framework is crucial for building trust as new forms of digital value move from experimentation to real-world application.