Kima allows users to directly top up Mastercard prepaid cards from crypto wallets using stablecoins, expanding the usability of cryptocurrency in payments.
A significant step in connecting the crypto world with traditional financial systems has been taken as FinTech company Kima announced integration with Mastercard's "Sandbox-as-a-Service" platform. This new solution enables users to top up Mastercard prepaid cards directly from non-custodial crypto wallets using stablecoins, without involving any intermediaries.
This is a crucial breakthrough in expanding the real-world application of digital assets, allowing stablecoin users to access Mastercard's extensive payment network across over 200 countries, millions of points of sale, and more than 200,000 ATMs globally.
Non-Smart Contract Infrastructure
At the center of Kima's infrastructure is the Universal Payment Rail – a decentralized payment system that does not use smart contracts, enabling direct P2P transactions between digital asset wallets and bank accounts. This technical feature creates a seamless connection between the crypto ecosystem and traditional financial systems, while addressing many common issues in blockchain-based payment solutions.
Kima's integration into Mastercard's digital sandbox is clear evidence of the practical usability of stablecoins as a daily payment tool. Through Kima's SDK toolkit, card issuers can easily implement stablecoin top-up features, eliminating the need for centralized exchanges, blockchain bridges, or custody services.
The payment process is designed to be simple and intuitive for users: They only need to initiate a transaction through the app, confirm it in their personal wallet, and the system will immediately transfer funds to the card issuer's account, simultaneously activating the balance on the prepaid card. Currently, the system supports interaction with over 10 popular blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Solana, and TRON.
"This solution opens up a new world for crypto users, allowing them to use stablecoins in daily transactions without converting to fiat currency first," an industry expert noted. "This is exactly the type of bridge that the market needs to bring digital assets into the mainstream economy."
Kima's target audience is not limited to individual users but also includes organizations. This solution can easily be expanded for neobanks, payment service providers, Web3 projects, and payroll platforms, creating a comprehensive stablecoin-based payment ecosystem.
The demo in Mastercard's sandbox environment allows partners to fully simulate the user experience – from selecting blockchain networks and wallets to topping up virtual cards. This helps potential financial institutions comprehensively evaluate the solution before real-world deployment.
A specific example mentioned in the press release is the card issuer Pai. Kima's solution helped Pai implement instant top-ups from crypto wallets while ensuring full AML and KYC compliance, reducing operational costs and shortening the time to launch new financial products.
Kima's success partly stems from collaboration with Mastercard's FinSec Innovation Lab, which began last year. Through this initiative, Kima gained access to a vast network of financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and industry experts, thereby promoting the integration of their protocol into banks and FinTech companies.
