ZeroHash, a firm that provides crypto and stablecoin infrastructure for traditional financial institutions, has secured a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) license.

The new license enables the infrastructure provider to serve businesses across the European Economic Area (EEA), offering a simplified way to integrate stablecoin payments and crypto-asset services throughout Europe.

The nearly decade-old company already serves several global institutions, including Tastytrades, Interactive Brokers, Morgan Stanley, Franklin Templeton, and Stripe. It also maintains regulatory authorization in multiple regions, including Canada and Australia.

Edward Woodford, Founder and CEO of the ZeroHash Group, described the license as a significant step toward advancing its services securely within the region.

“We are excited to continue accelerating our vision that blockchain technology — which underpins digital assets and stablecoins — will become integral to financial institutions. Today, we expand that possibility into Europe under a harmonized regulatory regime with the infrastructure to support it.”

For now, ZeroHash will be able to provide its services to 30 European countries.

Zerohash Expansion Amid Acquisition Talks

The development comes amid acquisition talks between ZeroHash and Mastercard over a potential deal reportedly valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, according to Jakob Jake, Head of Research at Messari.

Jake noted that the deal aligns with Mastercard’s broader push to expand its presence in crypto and on-chain transactions. ZeroHash had previously raised $104 million earlier in the year, achieving a $1 billion valuation.

He also highlighted that the potential acquisition rests on several factors, including ZeroHash’s strong suite of products, extensive client base, and comprehensive regulatory compliance structure.

“It’s fully licensed. ZeroHash is a FinCEN-registered MSB, holds money transmitter licenses in all 51 U.S. jurisdictions, and has New York’s virtual currency and trust charters. That compliance stack makes it strategically valuable.”

Jake further noted that the acquisition could play a key role in Mastercard’s plan to build its Web3 infrastructure. He categorized the company’s crypto initiatives into three tiers:

“Crypto Credential for standardized identity and compliance; Multi-Token Network (MTN) for rules and standards around tokenized settlement; and ZeroHash as the operational layer beneath both — the engine that issues, moves, converts, and settles value.”

Mastercard isn’t new to the industry. In July, it partnered with cryptocurrency exchange Bitget to bring card payments on-chain—just days after announcing a similar partnership with Chainlink to enable on-chain settlement for cardholders in the market.