The short answer
Bridge and BVNK both sell stablecoin infrastructure: APIs that a fintech, marketplace or payment company builds into its own product. Bridge, owned by Stripe, suits developers, companies already on Stripe, and anyone who wants to issue a stablecoin or offer stablecoin-backed Visa cards. BVNK, owned by Mastercard, suits regulated payment companies and enterprises at scale: it requires at least 500,000 USD a month, offers named accounts with SWIFT for USD and EUR, and now plugs into Mastercard's card issuing and payouts.
Neither is a business account for a company's own money. If that's what you need, BVNK alternatives compares accounts as well as infrastructure.
Side by side
As of October 2026, from each company's website, docs and announcements:
| Infrastructure | Bridge | BVNK |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Stripe, since 4 February 2025 | Mastercard, since 3 August 2026 |
| Built for | Developers and platforms, through an API or another company's product | Payment companies and enterprises processing at least 500,000 USD a month, with 6 months of trading history |
| Virtual accounts | USD (ACH and wire), EUR (SEPA), GBP (Faster Payments), MXN (SPEI), BRL (Pix) and COP (Bre-B); USD and EUR in the end customer's name | Named USD, EUR and GBP accounts; SEPA for EUR, SWIFT for USD and EUR |
| SWIFT | Limited beta, USD only | Listed for USD and EUR |
| Cards | Stablecoin-backed Visa cards | Virtual cards linked to stablecoin balances; Mastercard card issuing through the Global Money Platform |
| Issuance | Open Issuance for your own stablecoin | Not listed |
| Reach | Most countries, with rules by country of residence and by rail | More than 130 countries |
Licenses
| Licenses | Bridge | BVNK |
|---|---|---|
| US | Entity listed on NMLS (ID 2450917); OCC preliminary conditional approval for Bridge National Trust Bank, February 2026 | FinCEN money services business; state money transmitter licenses; Lead Bank and Cross River Bank as banking partners |
| EU | MiCA crypto-asset service provider authorization and an e-money license in Luxembourg, July 2026 | E-money license and MiCA authorization in Malta |
| UK | Not listed | Electronic money institution authorized by the FCA (reference 901057) |
BVNK says it holds more than 40 licenses and registrations in total.
Where each one limits you
Bridge decides whether it can onboard you by where your company is resident. As of October 2026, its docs say residents of countries including Bangladesh, Kenya, Morocco and Pakistan can't use US ACH or Fedwire, GBP, MXN, BRL and COP accounts aren't available to EU customers, and custodial wallets aren't available in Hong Kong, Indonesia or Singapore. It doesn't serve countries on its prohibited list, including Russia, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. Our Bridge alternatives guide lists the rules by rail.
BVNK sets its limits by size and type of business. Its virtual accounts are "intended for regulated financial institutions and similar businesses", and GBP accounts are limited to companies incorporated in the UK, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Gibraltar or Guernsey. Our BVNK alternatives guide covers who qualifies.
Which one to choose
Choose Bridge if:
- you build on Stripe, or want stablecoin infrastructure without a published volume minimum
- you want to issue your own stablecoin, or offer stablecoin-backed Visa cards to your users
- you need accounts in MXN, BRL or COP alongside USD and EUR
Choose BVNK if:
- you're a regulated payment company or an enterprise processing 500,000 USD or more a month
- your customers pay by SWIFT in USD or EUR, and you need named accounts for it
- you want Mastercard's card issuing and payouts in the same platform, or UK and EU licenses
Where Align fits
Align isn't infrastructure for platforms: it's a business account built on stablecoins, for a company moving its own money. It gives named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name, money received lands as USDC or USDT, and there's no volume minimum. Align's AED accounts are for companies outside the UAE. For platforms, Align's AlignConnect API offers named IBANs, collections, payouts and FX.
Align Payments Ltd. is registered with FINTRAC in Canada as a money services business (registration no. N300000203), and regulated services are provided through licensed financial institutions. Align isn't a bank.
Sources
- Stripe, Stripe completes Bridge acquisition (February 2025)
- Bridge, Homepage and Legal disclosures (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Bridge docs, Supported countries list, Virtual accounts, Rail-specific rules, Virtual accounts FAQs, SWIFT transactions (beta), Cards overview and Issuance options (accessed 22 October 2026)
- OCC, Corporate Decision #1365: Bridge National Trust Bank (February 2026); Bridge, MiCA and e-money authorizations in the EU (July 2026)
- Mastercard, Mastercard completes acquisition of BVNK (August 2026) and Mastercard and BVNK launch Global Money Platform (October 2026)
- BVNK, Products and FAQ, Virtual accounts overview and Licenses and registrations (accessed 22 October 2026)
Common questions
- What's the difference between Bridge and BVNK?
- Both sell stablecoin infrastructure to companies that build payments for their own users. Bridge, owned by Stripe, is aimed at developers and adds stablecoin issuance and stablecoin-backed Visa cards. BVNK, owned by Mastercard since August 2026, is aimed at payment companies and enterprises processing at least 500,000 USD a month, and adds Mastercard's card issuing and payouts through the Mastercard Global Money Platform.
- Does BVNK have a minimum volume?
- Yes. As of October 2026, BVNK says it works with businesses and financial institutions processing at least 500,000 USD in payments a month, with at least 6 months of trading or operating history. Bridge's pages don't list a volume minimum; it decides by where your company is resident and sets rules for each payment rail.
- Which supports SWIFT?
- BVNK's docs list SWIFT for USD and EUR virtual accounts. Bridge describes SWIFT as a limited beta for USD only, and its virtual accounts FAQ says they don't currently support SWIFT payments, only ACH and US domestic wires.
- Can I issue my own stablecoin with Bridge or BVNK?
- Bridge offers it: businesses can launch their own stablecoin through Open Issuance. BVNK's product list, as of October 2026, covers payments, embedded accounts, stablecoin infrastructure and cards linked to stablecoin balances, not issuance.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.