Mastercard has applied for 15 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and metaverse trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As per the filing documents, Mastercard is planning to build up a virtual world for engaging with digital assets, credit card processing in the Metaverse, virtual reality events, and much more.
NFT, Metaverse and trademarks applications by Mastercard
One of the trademark applications has been filed for the company’s “Priceless” motto which includes NFT-authenticated multimedia elements such as artwork, text, audio, and video. Another application shows how it intends to utilise its red and yellow “Circles” logo to handle card transactions used for the purchase of products and services in the Metaverse.
One more patent application seeks to include the Mastercard brand in Metaverse cultural events, concerts, athletic events, and award shows, as well as financial education seminars and programmes.
Where does Mastercard stand in a race with Visa and other fintech for crypto world planning?
In February 2022, Mastercard hired 500 additional employees to advise its banks and merchants on the use of crypto-enabled solutions and NFTs. However, it is not the only large fintech company that has applied for NFT or metaverse trademarks. Visa and American Express have both filed crypto-related USPTO applications.
Visa submitted a patent application for a digital token in 2020, and it is now creating native virtual money on its card networks. There are seven applications relating to American Express’s branding with virtual payment cards, services in the metaverse, and utilising its cards at an NFT marketplace.
Fintechs’ crypto aspirations
Furthermore, in order to remain competitive in the virtual market, these credit card firms have undertaken a number of efforts. While Mastercard introduced a three-month programme called Start Path Crypto to assist blockchain and crypto companies in scaling their operations, Visa also announced its own Creator Program to educate entrepreneurs about NFTs and help them build their small enterprises.
 and metaverse trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).){kind=link}