BVNK alternatives for businesses that move money with stablecoins
BVNK became part of Mastercard in August 2026 and works with payment companies and enterprises that process at least $500,000 a month. Below that scale, or if you want an account for your own company's money, Bridge, Conduit, Circle Mint, Zerohash and Align each cover part of what it does.
By Pavel Skalin, Founder & CEO, Align · Reviewed by the Align compliance team
Updated · 8 min read
The short answer
BVNK is stablecoin payments infrastructure for payment companies and large enterprises, and it has been part of Mastercard since 3 August 2026. As of October 2026, it works with businesses that process at least $500,000 a month. If you're at that scale and want its licenses and Mastercard's reach, BVNK is a strong fit.
If you're smaller, or you want an account for your own company's money rather than infrastructure to build on, compare Bridge, Conduit, Circle Mint, Zerohash and Align. Each covers part of what BVNK does, for a different kind of customer.
Who owns BVNK now
- Coinbase talks ended. In early October 2025, Coinbase and Mastercard were both reported to be exploring bids for BVNK. On 11 November 2025, Coinbase said "both parties mutually agreed to not move forward" with a deal The Block put at about $2 billion.
- Mastercard agreed to buy. On 17 March 2026, Mastercard agreed to acquire BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, CoinDesk reported.
- The deal closed. Mastercard completed the acquisition on 3 August 2026. BVNK told customers: "Nothing changes for BVNK customers today." Teams, products and integrations stayed the same.
- A joint product followed. On 15 October 2026, Mastercard and BVNK launched the Mastercard Global Money Platform, which combines BVNK's stablecoin infrastructure with Mastercard's card issuing and payouts, including accounts that convert between fiat and stablecoins through a single API. Mastercard said Nuvei and Marqeta would be among the first to integrate it.
For buyers, the change is access to Mastercard's network. Mastercard says card issuing on the platform is available in more than 130 countries, and that it pays out to local bank accounts through Mastercard Move.
What BVNK offers and who it's for
As of October 2026, BVNK's website lists these products:
- Send and receive: payouts to people and businesses worldwide, and accepting payments in stablecoins.
- Global money accounts: fiat and stablecoin wallets that a platform embeds for its own users.
- Stablecoin infrastructure for companies that want to run stablecoin payments in house.
- Spend: virtual cards linked to stablecoin balances.
BVNK says it supports more than 130 countries, and in September 2026 it put its annualized volume at $39 billion. Its homepage carries testimonials from Worldpay, Deel and Corpay, and logos including Flywire, dLocal and Rapyd.
Who qualifies. BVNK says it works with "businesses and financial institutions looking to process at least $500,000 in payments a month, with a minimum of 6 months of trading/operating history." Its docs say 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.
Where it's licensed. BVNK says it holds more than 40 licenses and registrations. Its help center lists an electronic money institution authorized by the FCA (FCA reference 901057), an e-money license and a MiCA crypto-asset service provider authorization in Malta, FinCEN registration as a money services business, and state money transmitter licenses in the US. It names Lead Bank and Cross River Bank as US banking partners.
Five alternatives compared
As of October 2026:
| Built for | Accounts and money movement | Licensing highlights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BVNK | Payment companies and enterprises processing $500,000+ a month | Named USD, EUR and GBP accounts; SEPA for EUR, SWIFT for USD and EUR; stablecoin wallets | FCA and Malta e-money licenses; MiCA authorization; US money transmitter licenses |
| Bridge | Developers and platforms | Virtual accounts in USD, EUR, GBP, MXN, BRL and COP | US entity listed on NMLS (ID 2450917); e-money and MiCA authorization in Luxembourg; OCC preliminary conditional approval for a trust bank |
| Conduit | Fintechs, payment providers, large enterprises, treasury teams | Named USD accounts and EUR and GBP virtual IBANs | FINTRAC MSB and Bank of Canada PSP; FinCEN MSB |
| Circle Mint | Institutions minting and redeeming USDC and EURC | Funding by wire, SEPA and other bank transfers | New York money transmitter license; Bermuda license |
| Zerohash | Banks, brokers, fintechs and payment companies | Embedded stablecoin pay-ins, payouts and on and off ramps | FinCEN MSB and money transmitter in 51 US jurisdictions; NYDFS virtual currency license; FINTRAC; MiCA and e-money in the Netherlands |
| Align | Companies paying and getting paid across borders | Named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name (AED for companies outside the UAE) | FINTRAC MSB; services through licensed banking partners |
Bridge is Stripe's stablecoin platform, "built for developers," and Stripe completed the acquisition on 4 February 2025. It offers orchestration, virtual accounts, stablecoin issuance and Visa cards. The OCC gave it preliminary conditional approval for a national trust bank in February 2026. Our guide to Bridge alternatives for companies outside the US covers what it offers by country.
Conduit runs a cross-border payments network built on stablecoins, with an API and a no-code dashboard for treasury teams. As of October 2026, its site lists named USD accounts with "no U.S. entity required," EUR and GBP virtual IBANs, and onboarding in 100+ countries. It reported more than $10 billion in annualized payment volume when it raised a $36 million Series A in May 2025.
Circle Mint is Circle's service for institutions that mint and redeem USDC and EURC with the issuer. As of October 2026, Circle says it isn't available to individuals and is "offered to registered distributors in specific regions," and that its stablecoins can be minted and redeemed in 185+ countries. It suits companies that need USDC or EURC in volume.
Zerohash sells APIs that banks, brokers, fintechs and payment companies embed to offer crypto and stablecoin services to their own customers. As of October 2026, it lists more than $65 billion settled and 200 available jurisdictions. Its Dutch entity announced MiCA authorization from the AFM on 2 November 2025 and an e-money license from De Nederlandsche Bank in May 2026. CoinDesk reported in January 2026 that Zerohash had walked away from takeover talks with Mastercard and opted to remain independent.
Which one to choose
| Choose it if you | |
|---|---|
| BVNK | Process $500,000 or more a month, are a regulated payment company or large platform, and want Mastercard's card and payout reach |
| Bridge | Build on Stripe, want to issue your own stablecoin, or want to offer stablecoin-backed cards to your users |
| Conduit | Need USD accounts and local payouts in markets such as Brazil and Mexico, through an API or a dashboard |
| Circle Mint | Need to mint and redeem USDC or EURC in volume directly with Circle |
| Zerohash | Are a bank, broker or fintech adding crypto and stablecoin services for your own customers |
| Align | Want named accounts in your company's name, a USDC or USDT balance, and supplier payments in USD, EUR, GBP or AED (AED accounts are for companies outside the UAE) |
BVNK is the better fit for a regulated payment company at scale that wants accounts, payouts and cards for its own customers on Mastercard's network. If you need a provider authorized under MiCA, BVNK, Bridge and Zerohash hold that authorization. Align doesn't.
How Align compares
Align is a business account built on stablecoins, for companies that move their own money across borders.
- Named accounts. You get named virtual accounts in your company's name in USD, EUR, GBP and AED. They're permanent: issued to you and kept for future payments, with your company shown as the account holder. See named vs pooled virtual IBANs.
- Rails. USD over ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT; EUR over SEPA and SEPA Instant; GBP over Faster Payments; AED over IPP and UAEFTS. Align doesn't onboard companies based in the UAE: AED accounts are for companies outside it.
- Stablecoin balance. Money you receive lands in your balance as USDC or USDT. You can pay out in USD, EUR, GBP or AED, or send USDC and USDT to wallets. To pay a supplier, the stablecoin is converted as part of the payment, sent from your named account, and Align may ask for the invoice behind it.
- USD access. ACH and wire access isn't switched on automatically. You request it, and Align's US banking partner runs a second review after Align's KYB. The partner can decline or set limits.
- Onboarding. You create an account online in a few minutes and upload documents in 5 to 10 minutes. Align's compliance team reviews them in 1 to 5 business days.
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 and doesn't issue stablecoins. Check the prohibited and restricted use list for your country and industry. Pricing is quoted on request: contact us.
Sources
- Mastercard, Mastercard completes acquisition of BVNK (August 2026)
- Mastercard, Mastercard and BVNK launch Global Money Platform (October 2026)
- CoinDesk, Mastercard to acquire BVNK for up to $1.8 billion (March 2026)
- The Block, Coinbase scuttles $2 billion deal to acquire stablecoin startup BVNK (November 2025)
- BVNK, BVNK joins Mastercard (August 2026) and Stellar integration (September 2026)
- BVNK, Products and FAQ (October 2026)
- BVNK, Licenses and registrations (October 2026)
- BVNK, Virtual accounts overview (October 2026)
- Stripe, Stripe completes Bridge acquisition (February 2025)
- Bridge, Homepage and legal disclosures (October 2026), OCC conditional approval (February 2026) and MiCA and e-money authorizations in the EU (July 2026)
- Conduit, Homepage and Virtual accounts (October 2026)
- Business Wire, Conduit raises $36 million Series A (May 2025)
- Circle, Circle Mint (October 2026)
- Zerohash, Homepage and licenses (October 2026) and MiCAR authorization (November 2025)
- The Block, Zerohash secures EMI license (May 2026) and CoinDesk, Zerohash walks away from Mastercard takeover (January 2026)
Common questions
- Who owns BVNK now?
- Mastercard. It agreed to buy BVNK for up to $1.8 billion in March 2026 and completed the deal on 3 August 2026. Coinbase had held talks to buy BVNK earlier, and those ended in November 2025.
- Is BVNK only for large companies?
- Mostly. As of October 2026, BVNK says it works with businesses and financial institutions that process at least $500,000 a month and have at least 6 months of trading history. Smaller companies will usually need another provider.
- Which BVNK alternative suits a company outside the US?
- It depends on what you need. Conduit offers USD accounts with no US entity required, Bridge suits developers building on Stripe, and Align gives a company named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts with a stablecoin balance (AED accounts are for companies outside the UAE). Check each provider's country list for your jurisdiction first.
- Do any of these providers issue their own stablecoin?
- Circle issues USDC and EURC, and Bridge lets businesses launch their own stablecoin through its Open Issuance product. Align doesn't issue stablecoins: it supports USDC, USDT and EURC.
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.
Related guides
Open a business account built on stablecoins.
Named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name, with USDC and USDT in and out. Apply online; our compliance team reviews applications in 1 to 5 business days.