Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has officially launched its prepaid Mastercard crypto card in several Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. The rollout, confirmed by Binance marketing lead Anka Tsintsadze on Friday, February 13, 2026, extends the card's availability beyond its existing European Economic Area footprint to key markets including Armenia, Kazakhstan, and potentially Moldova and Kyrgyzstan.
The Binance Mastercard card allows verified users to instantly convert their cryptocurrency holdings—including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), stablecoins, and over 100 other supported tokens—into local fiat currency at the point of sale. The card is accepted at over 90 million merchants worldwide that accept Mastercard, both in-store and online. "Pay in crypto. Merchants get fiat or crypto. Best way to push crypto payments and adoption," commented Binance co-founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao on the service's regional expansion.
Key operational details include: Funds are drawn directly from a user's Spot or Funding wallet, with real-time conversion executed during the transaction. The card is primarily virtual, allowing integration with mobile wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay for contactless payments. To apply, users must have a verified Binance account and complete standard Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering checks. The card typically carries no issuance or annual fees from Binance, though third-party transaction or conversion charges may apply.
Market-specific integrations have been highlighted, particularly in Kazakhstan, where Binance has recently enabled direct Mastercard deposits and withdrawals in Kazakhstani tenge. In Uzbekistan, customers can deposit Uzbek som via the Humo card network. Users can also fund accounts using US dollars via credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
As part of the launch, Binance is running a Valentine-themed promotional campaign with a reward pool. The approximately month-long promotion, dubbed "Bring a Plus One" and "Love at First Top-Up," rewards users for referring friends, topping up wallets via Binance P2P or fiat channels, and trading on Spot and Futures markets. Rewards are capped and distributed in tokens identified by a pink icon, including AMP, UNI, and DOT. Cardholders are also eligible for cashback rewards of up to 2% on qualifying purchases, with potential for higher regional promotions between 2% and 8%.
This expansion follows a period of regulatory friction. Mastercard temporarily paused its collaboration with Binance in 2023 for compliance reviews. Services gradually resumed and expanded throughout 2024 and 2025, culminating in this CIS rollout, signaling a more stable operational footing for Binance's payment ambitions.
Separately, U.S. prosecutors issued a warning ahead of Valentine's Day, noting it is a peak season for romance-linked cryptocurrency scams. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, with Attorney David Toepfer, advised citizens to be wary of online relationships that quickly involve requests for crypto payments to unverified investment platforms.
