After a year-long trial and first-ever approval to enter New York, MetaMask is expanding the reach of its blockchain-based debit card in the United States.
Prior to the testing phase in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom will begin pilot phases in 2024. MetaMask announced on Thursday that the rollout includes product improvements that bring crypto payments into everyday commerce.
“We designed the MetaMask card to make cryptocurrencies disappear. Not disappear, but seamlessly integrate into daily life, with the line between on-chain and off-chain completely disappearing,” MetaMask product lead Gal Eldar said in a press release shared with CoinDesk.
Developed by payments giant Mastercard and crypto payments provider Baanx, the MetaMask card joins a market that already has a number of competitors, including cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (COIN) and Crypto.com, although many require users to deposit cryptocurrencies on the card issuer’s platform.
MetaMask began a limited rollout of its blockchain-based debit card to thousands of users in the EU and UK in August 2024, allowing customers to make purchases using USDC, USDT and wETH on the second-layer network Linea, an Ethereum-based chain developed by MetaMask parent company Consensys. The U.S. pilot begins in December 2024.
MetaMask said the card can now be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted, including support for digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and offers on-chain cash back rewards and earning options for unused balances through DeFi protocols. The company also offers a premium MetaMask metal card for $199 per year.
“We’ve seen tens of thousands of users around the world use it for everything from their morning coffee to their engagement rings, and now we’re excited to bring it to users in the United States, including in previously inaccessible places like New York,” Erdahl wrote in a press release.
Read more: MetaMask begins rolling out blockchain-based debit card developed with Mastercard, Baanx
