Winklevoss and Mastercard
Gemini, a cryptocurrency platform, today announced details of its first-of-a-kind cryptocurrency rewards credit card, including a partnership with Mastercard and WebBank, a leader in digital lending and the bank issuing the credit card. Since it was first introduced in early 2021, the Gemini Credit Card has amassed more than 140,000 people on its waitlist. Gemini has teamed up with Mastercard as the exclusive card network to offer a number of innovative features for this upcoming offering:
Crypto rewards on purchases: Cardholders will earn up to 3% back on qualifying purchases in bitcoin or any of the more than 30 cryptocurrencies available on Gemini. Crypto rewards will automatically be deposited into the cardholders' Gemini account.
Real-time rewards: Gemini is building a first-of-a-kind crypto rewards platform to deliver crypto rewards in real-time. Unlike most cards, which pay rewards out monthly, Gemini cardholders will receive their crypto rewards as the transaction occurs for most of their purchases. This gives cardholders full control over their rewards and allows them to benefit from any appreciation in the price of their rewards from the moment the transaction occurs.
No annual fee: The card will have no annual fee so cardholders can receive the full value of their rewards. Combined with 24/7 live customer support, it will deliver a superior cardholder experience.
Security-first design: The sleek, metal card — available in black, silver, or rose gold — is contactless and was built with security in mind. Only the cardholder's name appears on the card, removing other sensitive information, like the 16-digit card number, which can be easily accessed via the Gemini web or mobile app and requires two-factor authentication.
Near-instant access: Upon approval, cardholders can instantly access the Gemini Credit Card and begin making purchases online, in-app, and at the point of sale by directly adding it to their mobile wallet from the Gemini mobile app. Cardholders can also manage their payment credentials digitally, including access to transaction history and balance information, alerts, and access to card benefits.
World Mastercard® Benefits: Cardholders can access exclusive offers with select merchants such as DoorDash, HelloFresh, Lyft and ShopRunner. The Gemini Credit Card will also include advanced security features including Mastercard ID Theft Protection™, Zero Liability and Price Protection, and cardholders will also have access to Priceless® Experiences, offering activities both digitally and in the cities where they are.
"As more consumers look to enter the crypto ecosystem, the Gemini Credit Card gives them an easy point of entry and an effortless way to earn crypto as a reward without changing their daily spending habits," said Tyler Winklevoss, CEO of Gemini. "Mastercard continues to evolve and meet both industry and consumer demands and commit to the crypto space. We're excited to partner with them on our first real-time crypto rewards card, further helping to bring crypto mainstream."
The Gemini Credit Card provides a seamless way for consumers to acquire bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies as a reward on their everyday purchases. Cardholders will earn up to 3% back on dining, 2% back on groceries, and 1% back on other purchases. Cardholders also have the option to transfer their crypto rewards into Gemini Earn, a new interest-earning program, to grow their holdings even further.
"Consumer choice is at the center of Mastercard's strategy – giving people flexibility in how they pay and anticipating their evolving preferences," said Linda Kirkpatrick, president of North America at Mastercard. "Our work with Gemini builds upon this position, connecting consumer needs with next-generation assets and delivering a ground-breaking experience that redefines the future of card rewards and benefits."
The Gemini Credit Card will offer real-time crypto rewards available in all 50 U.S. States and will be accepted wherever Mastercard is accepted. The Gemini Credit Card is expected to launch this summer and those who are on the waitlist will receive first access to apply.
For Gemini users or others interested in signing up to the waitlist, please visit: https://gemini.com/credit-card/waitlist. To sign up for a Gemini account visit: https://exchange.gemini.com/register. Gemini Credit Card terms and conditions will apply.
About Gemini
Gemini is a platform that allows customers to buy, sell, store, and earn cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ether, and DeFi tokens. Gemini's simple, reliable, and secure products are built to empower the individual. Gemini was founded in 2014 by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
About Mastercard
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.
AI is the Neat Handwriting of the Illiterate
A model in the hands of someone who has read the filing and walked the plant is a clerk. The same model, speaking for someone who has done neither, is a disguise. On AI slop, phantom citations and factslop, why finish stopped being evidence of work, and the containment layer KXCO built so a machine cannot speak as the institution until a source is attached.
Worthship: Do Not Conform to the Age
Worthship is the older English word for worship, and it means to ascribe worth. Bishop Robert Barron preached Romans 12 on 30 August. This essay follows the text into the prison letters, and puts two questions to a graph: do the four readings of that Sunday agree, and was Paul free or in chains when he wrote about despair?
The Truth in All Its Ugliness Must Survive
A majority vote does not determine the truth. Consensus is a mood, gossip is a sport, and a model will write the pretty version for free. Why the ugly number has to survive, why a record beats a dashboard, and what KXCO was built to keep standing when the room changes its mind.
Don't Be the Best, Be the Only: Winning in an AI World
AI is repricing competence downward. What it cannot reproduce is a life. The case for remaining non-fungible, why friction still produces the best ideas, and what it means to build AI systems that keep the human intellect in them.
Every story, signed and delivered.
Subscribe to the kxco channel and get the headline, the AI-written key takeaways, and the chain-anchor link the moment we publish. Audio versions and per-ticker subscriptions arrive in the next iteration.