Mastercard and Chainlink said they are enabling direct onchain crypto purchases for Mastercard’s estimated 3.5 billion cardholders. The announcement points to a bridge between traditional payment cards and blockchain networks, allowing users to buy digital assets through an onchain process rather than staying within a closed custodial system. The development is notable because it connects a global payments network with Chainlink’s blockchain infrastructure, a combination that can help simplify crypto access for mainstream users while expanding how payment rails interact with decentralized networks.