Forget Bitcoin ETFs; This Is How Crypto Is Really Going Mainstream

By Anders Bylund – Apr 11, 2026 at 3:47PM ESTKey PointsVisa now processes stablecoin settlements in more than 50 countries.JPMorgan Chase is letting customers buy crypto through Coinbase, though CEO Jamie Dimon remains skeptical of Bitcoin.You may already be using blockchain-based systems when you swipe your credit card.Many crypto investors see exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as a sign of digital currencies going mainstream. Sure, it doesn't hurt Bitcoin (BTC +0.42%) holders when the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT +1.59%) picks up $57 billion of Bitcoin assets, followed by $13.5 billion of assets under management in the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC +1.62%). The just-launched Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust will surely build serious value pretty quickly, too -- familiar fund names tend to have that effect, and this one comes with the lowest management fees in the Bitcoin ETF segment. Early 2026 seems to be a monumental moment in crypto history, and these digital assets are indeed going mainstream in a big way. But it's not all about ETFs. Old-school financial giants are embracing crypto in completely different (and equally important) ways. ExpandNYSE: VVisaToday's Change(-1.27%) $-3.93Current Price$304.36Key Data PointsMarket Cap$580BDay's Range$303.51 - $309.0052wk Range$293.89 - $375.51Volume5.2MAvg Vol8.1MGross Margin78.02%Dividend Yield0.83% Credit card giants are building crypto's boring future Some financial giants are taking a different approach: making blockchain so boring that nobody notices it's there. Credit card giants Visa (V 1.27%) and Mastercard (MA 0.96%) have both been working on digital asset integration for over a decade, and they are picking up the pace nowadays. Visa has already integrated stablecoins into its payment processing systems. This week, the company rolled out a new function, Intelligent Commerce Connect, that enables artificial intelligence (AI) agents to participate in automated business transactions. Behind the scenes, this tool relies on stablecoins and tokenized assets. Anything from credit card numbers to full transaction details can be converted into secure, anonymous tokens in Visa's proprietary tokenization platform. Elsewhere this week, Mastercard kicked off a crypto partner program. Collaborators include stablecoin issuer Circle Internet (CRCL +3.40%), crypto exchange Kraken, the Ripple payments network, financial tech veteran PayPal (PYPL 1.57%), and the Solana (SOL +0.46%) blockchain. Mastercard's advisory group is designing interoperable money transfer systems for the next generation. Image source: Getty Images. Another household name is already using Ether tokens in consumer-facing systems. I'm talking about American Express (AXP 1.34%), which recently launched a travel-and-memories app that stores data on the Ethereum chain. Like Mastercard and Visa, American Express has been working on crypto-based ideas for many years. It has been managing a small portion of its international transactions with Ripple and the XRP (XRP +0.19%) cryptocurrency since 2017. Megabank JPMorgan Chase (JPM 0.11%) is tiptoeing in as well. It has tokenized money market funds and cut a deal with Coinbase (COIN 0.69%) to let regular customers buy crypto in some of JPMorgan Chase's investment accounts. However, management keeps one eye on regulators and both hands on the brake pedal. CEO Jamie Dimon believes that stablecoins are a good idea, but investors should avoid volatile names like Bitcoin. ExpandCRYPTO: BTCBitcoinToday's Change(0.42%) $308.02Current Price$73415.00Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.5TDay's Range$72626.00 - $73721.0052wk Range$60255.56 - $126079.89Volume25B The overnight success story in slow motion Here's the thing about revolutions: The boring parts usually matter more than the dramatic ones. The Bitcoin ETF boom is real, and it's putting crypto on the radar of mainstream financial advisors and retirement accounts. That's significant, but it's far from the whole story. Visa is quietly processing stablecoin settlements in 50 countries. Mastercard just assembled 100 partners to build the next generation of payment rails. Amex is storing your vacation memories on the Ethereum blockchain. JPMorgan is letting customers buy crypto while Jamie Dimon holds his nose. None of this is flashy. Nobody's getting rich overnight from Mastercard's partner program. But this is how technologies tend to go mainstream. Without creating headlines and 60 Minutes specials, people are working to integrate things like stablecoins and Bitcoin into existing financial systems. Over time, you'll start using Ripple, Ethereum, and stablecoins when you swipe your Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards. Maybe you already have, with no fanfare at all. And someday in the future, you'll realize that you're using cryptocurrencies and blockchain ledgers every day. It will be one of those overnight success stories that was many years in the making.Read NextApr 10, 2026 •By Bram BerkowitzStanley Druckenmiller Says Stablecoins Will Dominate Global Payments Within 15 Years. Are Visa and Mastercard Stock in Trouble?Apr 4, 2026 •By Lyle DalyThe Largest Financial Companies by Market Cap in April 2026Apr 1, 2026 •By Lyle DalyThe Largest Companies by Market Cap in April 2026Apr 1, 2026 •By Jack CaporalWhich Stablecoins Are the Largest and Most Popular in 2026?Apr 1, 2026 •By Justin PopeThe Warren Buffett Stock That Has Compounded at 18.5% Annually for 18 YearsMar 31, 2026 •By Sean WilliamsThe Dow Jones Industrial Average Is in Correction Territory: 2 Historically Cheap Components That Make for No-Brainer Buys Right NowAbout the AuthorAnders Bylund is a contributing Motley Fool media and technology analyst covering semiconductors, cloud computing, internet infrastructure, quantum computing, and streaming media. Previously, Anders was a systems administrator for Nielsen Technology and CSX, gaining hands-on experience with enterprise-class systems. He was also a freelance writer for Ars Technica, TIME, USA Today, CNN, WIRED, and AOL's Daily Finance. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in library and information sciences from Florida State University. He believes in coyotes and time as an abstract.TMFZahrimX@TMFZahrimStocks MentionedVisaNYSE: V$304.67(-1.17%)-$3.62JPMorgan ChaseNYSE: JPM$309.87(-0.15%)-$0.46MastercardNYSE: MA$498.72(-0.96%)-$4.85American ExpressNYSE: AXP$313.78(-1.26%)-$3.99PayPalNASDAQ: PYPL$45.26(-1.57%)-$0.72BitcoinCRYPTO: BTC$73,415.00(+0.42%)+$308.02SolanaCRYPTO: SOL$85.44(+0.46%)+$0.39XRPCRYPTO: XRP$1.36(+0.19%)+$0.00Coinbase GlobalNASDAQ: COIN$167.85(-0.69%)-$1.17Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin FundNYSEMKT: FBTC$63.85(+1.62%)+$1.02iShares Bitcoin TrustNASDAQ: IBIT$41.56(+1.59%)+$0.65Circle Internet GroupNYSE: CRCL$87.99(+3.40%)+$2.89*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.