Edge announces confidential no-KYC digital currency Mastercard

Published at: June 8, 2022

On Wednesday, self-custody crypto exchange Edge announced a no-Know Your Customer (KYC) debit Mastercard that can be funded with Bitcoin and other digital currencies.

Without KYC verification, users would be able to spend their crypto at more than 10 million merchant terminals in the United States. Currently, one can fund the Edge Mastercard using Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC) and Dash (DASH) directly from the Edge app.

In a statement to Cointelegraph, representatives at Edge say that the card is compliant with Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing regulations because of a $1,000 daily spending limit on the card (approx. $30,000 monthly). In addition, the card is only available for use at U.S. merchant terminals. Paul Puey, a co-founder of Edge, commented:

"Without compromising any personal info, and without the usual fees or delays to top up their card, the Edge Mastercard is a true breakthrough for using crypto for day-to-day payments."

Because there is no address associated with the card, users can simply enter any name and address for billing purposes when shopping online.

In addition to its confidentiality, Edge claimed that there are no fees charged on its new Mastercard. When users sell their BTC to add funds, the company uses spot exchange rates from third-party sites such as Coinmarketcap with no margin taken.

The Edge Mastercard will be issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., under license by Mastercard International, and powered by fintech company Ionia. Edge says that it has over 1.7 million accounts across 179 countries on its self-custody cryptocurrency trading platform. 

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