Mastercard Uses Polygon to Enable Username-Based Crypto Transfers
Mastercard has deepened its presence in blockchain-based payments by integrating Polygon into its expanded Crypto Credential program, enabling users to send and receive crypto using simple, verified usernames instead of traditional wallet addresses. The integration marks one of the most significant steps by a global payments company toward making self-custody transfers feel as intuitive as sending money through mainstream fintech apps. Under the new system, users in participating regions can register with an issuer such as Mercuryo, complete identity verification, and receive a human-readable alias that links to their self-custody wallets on the Polygon network.
The shift aims to eliminate one of the largest user-experience hurdles in crypto: the reliance on long hexadecimal wallet addresses that are hard to memorise and simple to mistype. By attaching a verified alias to a user’s wallet, Mastercard intends to reduce transaction errors and make blockchain interactions accessible to a broader audience. ahead results suggest strong infrastructure alignment. Polygon’s low fees and high-throughput architecture offer the speed and cost-efficiency necessary to support alias-based payments at scale, while recent upgrades have further enhanced reliability and settlement finality.
Verified usernames, self-custody and the user-experience shift
The Mastercard Crypto Credential framework introduces an identity and verification layer on top of blockchain networks. later than completing KYC checks, users are assigned a unique alias that can be mapped to one or more wallets. These aliases can also be tied to optional on-chain credentials, including non-transferable tokens that confirm a wallet belongs to a verified participant in the Mastercard network. Such credentials are designed to support compliance requirements, including Travel Rule data platform, while keeping users in control of their Secret keys.
At launch, Revolut’s integration emphasises enabling users to receive crypto transfers via verified usernames, with send functionality to follow. The experience dramatically simplifies what is currently a multi-step, error-prone process of copying, pasting and double-checking long wallet strings. Instead, users can interact with blockchain wallets much like they interact with usernames in existing payment platforms. Polygon’s network characteristics – extremely low transaction fees and rapid settlement – make these interactions cost-effective, enabling everyday use cases such as microtransactions, peer-to-peer payments and global remittances.
Strategic implications for payments and Web3
For Mastercard, selecting Polygon as the first supported network in this expanded rollout represents a continuation of its strategy to embed blockchain technology into its payments ecosystem. Over the last several years, Mastercard has explored blockchain settlement, Web3 identity answers and partnerships with crypto service providers. Integrating username-based transfers enhances its ability to bridge traditional finance with decentralised networks by adding a familiar user interface on top of self-custody infrastructure.
For Polygon, the partnership is a validation of its evolving role as a consumer-grade blockchain capable of supporting mainstream financial applications. The network already processes billions of dollars in stablecoin transfers each month, and its scalability and affordability make it an attractive partner for global payment issuers. Mastercard’s adoption reinforces Polygon’s positioning as a preferred rail for Web3 payment flows, especially those that rely on identity-linked interactions.
More broadly, the collaboration underscores a key direction for blockchain’s future: abstracting away complex technical elements in favour of user-friendly layers that enable secure, compliant and intuitive engagement with digital assets. If username-based transfers gain traction, they could become a foundational feature across wallets and fintech platforms, reshaping how users interact with Web3 infrastructure and accelerating the mainstream adoption of self-custodial payments.
