Mastercard has agreed to acquire stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, expanding its presence in digital assets.

Mastercard closed the year with stronger-than-expected profit as consumers kept spending steadily, pushing transaction volumes higher despite inflation pressures and trade-related uncertainty.

Walmart and other major U.S. retailers are urging a federal judge to reject a proposed antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard, arguing it offers little relief and allows the card companies to continue charging high fees.

Visa and Mastercard have reached a revised settlement with merchants who claimed the card networks charged excessive fees for processing credit card payments, according to a court filing on Monday.

Mastercard reportedly plans to lay off 3% of its global workforce — about 1,000 people — as part of a reorganization it announced earlier this year, News.Az reports citing Pymnts .

As fraudsters seek new ways to exploit technology, Mastercard is using generative AI to double the speed at which it can detect potentially compromised cards, further protecting cardholders and securing the ecosystem, News.az reports.