Payments giant Mastercard has filed 15 nonfungible token (NFT) and metaverse trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO.Highlights of the filings include plans for a virtual community for interacting with digital assets, the processing of payment cards in the Metaverse, an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of downloadable digital goods, virtual reality events and more.One trademark filing for the company’s “Priceless” slogan consists of multimedia files such as artwork, text, audio and video that are authenticated by NFTs. Another application illustrates plans for its red and yellow “Circles” logo to process card transactions used for payment of goods and services in the Metaverse and other virtual worlds. An additional patent intends to add the Mastercard name to cultural events, concerts, sporting events, festivals, and awards shows in the Metaverse, as well as to financial education seminars and programs.As previously reported by Cointelegraph, Mastercard added 500 new hires in February to consult with banks and merchants about adopting crypto-enabled technologies and NFTs. But it is not the only major fintech firm that is applying for NFT or metaverse trademarks. Visa and American Express have submitted their own crypto-related USPTO filings.Back in 2020, Visa first filed a patent application to create a digital currency and is currently developing a native digital currency on its card networks. In the case of American Express, there are seven applications related to its branding with virtual payment cards, concierge services in the metaverse and using its cards at an NFT marketplace. Additionally, these credit card companies have taken several initiatives to remain competitive within the virtual economy. While Mastercard created a three-month program, called Start Path Crypto, to help blockchain and crypto startups scale their businesses, Visa also launched its own Creator Program, to mentor entrepreneurs about NFTs to grow their small businesses.Related: MetaMask rolls out Apple Pay integration and other iOS updatesMastercard is part of the PCI Security Standards Council, or PCI SSC, made up of the major global credit card firms including American Express, Discover, Visa and JCB that operates to improve payment data security worldwide. Recently, Scallop, a regulated DeFi banking app joined the PCI SSC, with the intention of contributing DeFi-industry insights and recommending initiatives to the Council.
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