MoonPay Integrates Discover Network in the U.S... Completes Major 3 Card Payment Network Coverage

On July 23, 2026, MoonPay completed its integration with the Discover Network, establishing a comprehensive payment network for the major credit card market in the U.S. With this move, millions of U.S. cardholders have gained a new path to instantly buy and sell digital assets. Notably, this coincides with today, July 24, 2026, the date new federal transaction standards for stablecoins and virtual assets take effect, drawing significant industry attention.

The addition of Discover means that, alongside Visa and Mastercard, it has become the third major card network supported by MoonPay in the U.S.

Through this integration, MoonPay has achieved its long-term goal of providing the widest range of payment options to U.S. retail consumers. Discover cards now hold the same status as Visa and Mastercard, a milestone seen as evidence that MoonPay has fully secured its payment infrastructure within the U.S. market. Consumers can now more easily enter the virtual asset ecosystem using their preferred traditional financial instruments.

Diversification of Payment Methods and Evolution of User Experience

Discover card support is currently provided exclusively to U.S. users, and all transactions adopt an 'Instant' processing method. This maximizes user convenience by competing with existing U.S.-only payment options such as PayPal or MoonPay Balance. Users can secure immediate liquidity and respond to market volatility through their existing credit cards without the need for complex separate top-up processes.

• Discover Card: US-only service with support for instant processing
• Visa and Mastercard: Global regional support and instant processing
• Apple Pay: Instant payment available in all regions worldwide
• PayPal: Instant processing service provided exclusively for users in the US

Starting today, July 24, 2026, significant technical changes are being introduced to the transaction authentication methods of card networks. According to the latest guidelines from Marqeta, card networks must now process purchases of 'volatile virtual assets' such as Bitcoin or Ethereum separately from purchases of stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) using different codes. Previously, all virtual asset purchases were classified under a single code, but stablecoin purchases are now managed under a separate, dedicated code.

These technical changes serve to increase market transparency by allowing regulatory authorities to conduct differentiated oversight based on the nature of the assets. MoonPay is proactively adopting these new standards, accelerating its integration with institutional finance. The new coding system is expected to contribute to card issuers being able to more precisely measure the risk of virtual asset-related transactions and optimize approval rates.

MoonPay's 2026 Innovation Path and Market Competitiveness

MoonPay recently won the 2026 Chainalysis Innovation Award, once again proving its technical superiority and market influence. In addition, it is expanding its innovative product line, such as the launch of the 'MoonAgents Card' last May, which allows AI agents to make direct stablecoin payments at Mastercard merchants. These moves demonstrate that MoonPay is evolving beyond a simple payment gateway into a comprehensive digital asset financial platform.

Currently, competition in the card-based on-ramp market is extremely fierce, and the industry standard fee structure of approximately 2.99% is being maintained. While card payments incur high processing costs for exchanges due to fraud prevention and chargeback risks, they offer the advantage of providing users with immediate settlement and robust consumer protection features. Despite these cost limitations, MoonPay is pursuing a strategy of increasing user accessibility by expanding its payment network.

In 2026, virtual asset ownership in the United States has entered a stabilization phase, and the federal government's favorable policy stance is strongly supporting market growth. In particular, federal-level support, such as the securing of strategic Bitcoin reserves, has become a decisive driver for traditional financial networks like Discover to participate more actively in the virtual asset ecosystem. This signifies that virtual assets are being recognized as practical financial assets rather than just speculative ones.

In conclusion, as of 2026, with regulatory ambiguity cleared and a concrete framework established, the integration of traditional credit card networks has become a basic requirement for virtual asset services. MoonPay's integration of the Discover network is a symbolic example of the 'normalization' process in which digital assets are incorporated into everyday financial services. Moving forward, the boundaries between traditional finance and virtual assets are expected to blur further under clear guidelines from regulatory agencies.