BTC Markets has become the first Australian crypto exchange to enter into a strategic trading partnership with Mastercard.

The partnership will allow BTC Markets customers more payment options, including the ability to make direct debit, prepaid or credit card payments on the cryptocurrency exchange, creating a digital experience that mirrors that of an e-commerce payment.

“As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to grow and evolve, customers are increasingly looking for faster and simpler ways to securely and efficiently access cryptocurrency,” said BTC Markets CEO Carolyn Bowler.

"We are thrilled to partner with Mastercard, who share our focus on stability, innovation and consumer protection, and enable us to offer our customers new ways to engage with this emerging digital asset class."

This is BTC Markets' third strategic partnership announcement in the past six months.

It partnered with Volt Bank in September to access their unique Banking as a Service (BaaS) platform, followed by a trading agreement with online broker SelfWealth in February 2022.

"Together with our partners, we want to create a collaborative ecosystem for our customers - to complement their existing financial relationships in the banking, payments and investment space - all under one roof," Ms Bowler said.

“From an industry perspective, we aim to demonstrate how crypto can sit alongside traditional finance to work seamlessly together in a financially inclusive future,” she concluded.

Maja Garatsa Djurdjevic

Maya's career in journalism spans more than a decade in finance, business and politics. Already an experienced editor and reporter in all elements of the financial services sector, before joining Momentum Media, Maya reported for several established news outlets in South East Europe, looking at key processes in post-conflict societies.