Japan Just Found a Way to Earn XRP Without Spending a Yen
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jul 17 2025
0mins
Should l Buy MA?
Source: TipRanks
XRP Ownership Made Easier: Aplus, part of Shinsei Bank Group, allows credit card users in Japan to convert reward points into cryptocurrencies like XRP, enabling everyday shopping to contribute to crypto portfolios without needing to spend cash or open trading accounts.
Integration of Traditional and Digital Finance: This program marks a significant step in linking traditional banking with digital assets, providing a low-risk entry point for consumers into the crypto market while operating under a clear regulatory framework.
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Analyst Views on MA
Wall Street analysts forecast MA stock price to rise
28 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 514.720
Low
500.00
Averages
660.00
High
739.00
Current: 514.720
Low
500.00
Averages
660.00
High
739.00
About MA
Mastercard Incorporated is a technology company in the global payments industry. The Company connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, digital partners, businesses and other organizations worldwide by enabling electronic payments and making those payment transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. It provides a range of payment solutions and services using its brands, including Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus. It operates a payments network that provides choice and flexibility for consumers, merchants and its customers. Through its proprietary global payments network, it switches (authorizes, clears and settles) payment transactions. Its additional payments capabilities include automated clearing house (ACH) transactions (both batch and real-time account-based payments). It offers security solutions, consumer acquisition and engagement, business and market insights, gateway, processing and open banking, among other services and solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Rejecting Traditional Investments: The traditional 60/40 portfolio has proven unreliable, as evidenced by simultaneous declines in stocks and bonds in 2022, highlighting the need for investors to seek more dependable income sources.
- High-Yield Portfolio: The author's Contrarian Income Report portfolio averages an 8.1% yield across 24 stocks and funds, generating $81,149.86 annually for every million invested, making it suitable for retirees wishing to preserve their principal.
- Quality Closed-End Funds: Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust (GDV) offers a 6.4% monthly dividend and trades at a 12% discount, providing an opportunity to invest in quality blue-chip stocks while ensuring stable income for investors seeking reliability.
See More
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- Partnership Initiative: Ava Labs has officially joined Mastercard's newly launched Crypto Partner Program, aimed at integrating the efficiency of digital assets into global commerce, indicating a closing gap between traditional banking and the digital asset world.
- Industry Coalition: Mastercard has united over 85 companies, including Circle, Polygon, Ripple, and Solana, to create a dialogue forum to mature the industry and achieve practical execution, with Ava Labs' participation further advancing this initiative.
- Stablecoin Development: Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan's second-largest bank, plans to collaborate with Ava Labs and crypto security firm Fireblocks to develop a stablecoin, aiming to streamline cross-border payments and reduce transaction costs using blockchain technology.
- Technological Innovation: Ava Labs focuses on the unique architecture of the Avalanche blockchain, which achieves massive scalability through interconnected blockchains, allowing for fast transaction finality and providing a competitive infrastructure for enterprise and institutional use cases.
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- New Phase for Digital Assets: Mastercard noted that digital assets are entering a new stage of adoption, increasingly being applied to solve practical needs, driving innovation in cross-border remittances and B2B money transfers.
- Market Reaction: Despite Mastercard's stock dropping approximately 1.8% following the announcement of the program, market sentiment remains cautiously optimistic about the integration of digital assets, with retail sentiment lingering in 'bearish' territory.
- Importance of Industry Collaboration: Participants like Ripple and Solana emphasized that collaboration within the industry is crucial for connecting on-chain innovation with trusted global payment infrastructure, indicating that Mastercard's initiative may foster broader industry integration.
See More
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- Partner Program Launch: Mastercard has initiated the 85+ Partner Program, which aims to unite crypto exchanges, blockchain developers, fintech firms, and banks to explore how blockchain systems can connect with traditional payment rails, thereby driving practical applications of digital assets.
- Collaborative Product Development: Participants will work alongside Mastercard teams to develop products that combine on-chain tools with established payment systems, focusing on practical use cases such as cross-border transfers, B2B payments, and global payouts to meet the growing market demand.
- Market Integration Strategy: Mastercard emphasizes that collaboration is foundational for the next phase of on-chain payments, planning to translate technical innovations into scalable, compliant use cases that enhance integration into everyday commerce and global infrastructure.
- Stock Price Decline Risk: Mastercard's stock has fallen nearly 16% from its January 2026 peak of $595, currently approaching the psychological support level of $500; if it fails to break above $520, it may face further declines towards the $470-$480 range.
See More
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- Market Expansion Plans: Revolut aims to launch services in 30 new markets by 2030, currently boasting 70 million customers, showcasing its ambition and potential for global expansion.
- Regulatory Challenges Overcome: Although granted a conditional banking license in July 2024 with a limit of £50,000 in customer deposits, successfully exiting the mobilization phase is viewed as a crucial step for the company's growth.
- Strategic Significance: Co-founder and CEO Nik Storonsky emphasized that the UK is its home market, and obtaining the banking license is a vital step towards realizing its vision of becoming the world's first truly global bank, further solidifying its leadership in the fintech sector.
See More
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- Crypto Partner Program: Mastercard has launched its Crypto Partner Program to create a dialogue and collaboration platform for 85 partners, including SoFi, PayPal, and Binance, aiming to enhance its influence in the rapidly evolving fintech landscape.
- Digital Asset Applications: The program highlights the transition of digital assets from a parallel system with existing financial frameworks to real-world applications, particularly in cross-border remittances and B2B money transfers, showcasing their potential value in global money movement.
- Growth in Enterprise Use Cases: Mastercard noted that enterprise and institutional use cases such as payouts, settlements, and cross-border money movement are beginning to take hold, creating new opportunities to add value to global money flows, reflecting an increasing market acceptance of digital assets.
- Stock Market Decline: Despite the launch of the new program, Mastercard's stock fell 1.0% in Wednesday morning trading, indicating a backdrop of overall weakness in financial equities and concerns that stablecoin technology and AI may reduce the need for traditional payment systems.
See More
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- Passive Income Strategy: By investing $500K at an average yield exceeding 8% by age 50, retirees can generate $40,574.93 annually, ensuring financial stability during retirement through passive income streams.
- Rejecting Traditional Investments: The traditional 60/40 portfolio has proven unreliable, as evidenced by simultaneous declines in stocks and bonds in 2022, highlighting the need for investors to seek more dependable income sources.
- High-Yield Portfolio: The author's Contrarian Income Report portfolio averages an 8.1% yield across 24 stocks and funds, generating $81,149.86 annually for every million invested, making it suitable for retirees wishing to preserve their principal.
- Quality Closed-End Funds: Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust (GDV) offers a 6.4% monthly dividend and trades at a 12% discount, providing an opportunity to invest in quality blue-chip stocks while ensuring stable income for investors seeking reliability.
See More
