Banks have notoriously been steadfast in their opposition to cryptocurrencies, and this is for a very good reason. The peer-to-peer economic marketplace of digital currencies is a direct threat to the current financial monopoly held by banks and other financial institutions. Which is why it was surprising when an executive at Mastercard said that the credit card issuer was open to the overall use of cryptocurrency. However, there is a major catch to this announcement.
Crypto Cold Feet
Mastercard has put a lot of time and effort into blockchain technology, but they’re not exactly a fan of virtual currencies like Bitcoin. This was clearly evident when Mastercard and Visa classified the buying of cryptocurrency as a cash advance instead of a purchase.
At the time, the credit card giant stated:
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Over the past few weeks, we have clarified to acquirers – or the merchant’s bank – the right transaction or merchant category code to use for these type of transactions (cryptocurrency purchases). This provides a consistent view of such purchases for both merchants and issuers.
The result was that using credit cards to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies became more expensive. Exchanges charged a higher fee, and users began accruing interest from the moment they used a card.
Read more: http://bitcoinist.com/mastercard-open-cryptocurrency-theres-catch/