Key Facts
- KuCoin launched direct crypto payments via Mastercard’s global network for eligible Australian users on 24 April 2026, branded as KuCard.
- The product is delivered through a partnership with Immersve, a principal member of the Mastercard network.
- USDC funds spending in real time at point of sale; 37 USDC trading pairs are supported at launch, with digital assets converted to fiat at checkout.
- The card is compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay, giving access to Mastercard’s global merchant base.
- The rollout builds on KuCoin’s November 2025 AUSTRAC Digital Currency Exchange registration and an AFSL-backed futures partnership with Echuca Trading.
KuCoin has launched direct crypto payments on Mastercard’s global network for eligible users in Australia, the exchange announced in Sydney on 24 April 2026. The service, branded KuCard and delivered through payments firm Immersve, allows USDC to fund everyday spending in real time wherever Mastercard is accepted.
How the KuCoin Mastercard card works
The product is built on a partnership with Immersve, a principal member of the Mastercard network. At checkout, supported digital assets are converted to fiat for settlement through Mastercard’s payment rails, removing the need for users to manually pre-convert funds.
USDC is the core funding asset at launch, with 37 USDC trading pairs supported. The card works both physically and via Apple Pay and Google Pay, giving holders access to Mastercard’s global merchant footprint.
This is the first KuCard rollout in Australia and a notable shift in network for KuCoin: the exchange’s original KuCard, launched in the European Economic Area in November 2023, was issued on Visa.
Regulatory positioning in Australia
The Australian launch lands roughly five months after KuCoin’s local subsidiary was registered as a Digital Currency Exchange with AUSTRAC in November 2025, bringing the platform under Australian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing oversight. KuCoin also operates a separate partnership with Echuca Trading, an Australian Financial Services Licence holder, for its regulated crypto futures offering.
“This launch brings Mastercard acceptance to our users in Australia, builds on our AUSTRAC DCE registration, reflecting KuCoin’s commitment to responsible innovation and the everyday utility of crypto as it integrates into global finance,” said BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin.
James Pinch, KuCoin’s Australian Managing Director, framed the card as a utility bridge. “KuCard helps connect digital assets to real commerce through a familiar Mastercard payment experience — supporting broader adoption while reinforcing the importance of security, governance, and responsible innovation,” he said.
Mastercard and Immersve frame Web3 payments push
Jerome Faury, CEO of Immersve, described the partnership as part of a broader effort to connect on-chain assets to traditional retail payments. Immersve has previously positioned itself as a principal-member gateway for crypto-funded Mastercard products in the Asia-Pacific region.
Christian Rau, Senior Vice President of Digital Commercialization at Mastercard, said the collaboration with KuCoin and Immersve was “another example of Mastercard’s ongoing commitment to responsible innovation in the Web3 space,” framing it within Mastercard’s broader push to make digital-asset spending compliant at scale.
The launch places KuCoin alongside other centralised exchanges that have rolled out Mastercard-branded spending products in the past two years, including Bybit, Crypto.com and OKX, with Immersve serving as the issuing partner for multiple of those programmes in Asia-Pacific.
FAQ
What is the KuCoin Mastercard KuCard?
KuCard is a Mastercard-branded crypto payment product launched for eligible Australian users on 24 April 2026 through a partnership with Immersve, a principal member of the Mastercard network. USDC funds spending at the point of sale in real time, with digital assets converted to fiat at checkout and settled through Mastercard’s global network.
Which digital assets can be used to pay with KuCard in Australia?
At launch, the service supports 37 USDC trading pairs. USDC is the core funding asset, and KuCoin converts supported digital assets into fiat at checkout for settlement through the Mastercard network, including via Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Is KuCoin regulated in Australia?
KuCoin’s Australian subsidiary is registered as a Digital Currency Exchange with AUSTRAC, a registration secured in November 2025 that brings the platform under Australia’s AML and CTF framework. KuCoin also offers its futures product through a regulated structure via its partnership with AFSL-holder Echuca Trading.
The Australian launch sharpens KuCoin’s retail-facing strategy in a market where offshore exchanges have been pushed towards formal onshore registration over the past year. How quickly the exchange extends KuCard beyond Australia — and which asset set it adds alongside USDC — will be the near-term signal of whether this rollout is the start of a wider Mastercard-network programme for KuCoin or a market-specific implementation.
