The Second Half of the Stablecoin Era No Longer Belongs to the Crypto World [Plain Language Summary] In March 2026, Mastercard acquired stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK for up to $1.8 billion—four months after Coinbase's $2 billion offer fell through. This "bargain" deal marks the spread of the stablecoin battle from the crypto world to the heart of traditional finance. Mastercard wasn't after the technology, but rather BVNK's multi-country licenses, global payment pipeline, and annual processing capacity of 30 billion transactions. It fills the gap in the public chain bridge of the MTN permissioned blockchain, enabling atomic settlement, programmable payments, and the implementation of compliant stablecoins. With the GENIUS Act in effect, this acquisition allows Mastercard to seize the next generation of payment gateways under regulatory benefits, posing the biggest challenge to Ripple and traditional intermediary banks. For details, please see: hellobtc.com/kp/du/03/6260.htm...…