MetaMask and Mastercard Unveil Self-Custodial Crypto Card in U.S.

MetaMask, the leading Ethereum wallet, has officially rolled out its Mastercard-powered debit card across the United States, marking a major milestone in bridging decentralized finance with everyday payments. The announcement was made through MetaMask’s official channels and confirmed in industry reports.

A New Era of Crypto Spending

The MetaMask Card allows users to spend digital assets directly from their self-custodial wallets at millions of merchants worldwide. Unlike traditional crypto cards that require pre-loading funds onto an exchange, this card preserves user control until the moment of payment. Supported assets include USDC, USDT, ETH, and tokenized stablecoins, with seamless integration into Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Nationwide Availability

The card is now accessible in 49 U.S. states, including New York, with Vermont excluded at launch due to regulatory constraints. This expansion follows earlier pilots in Europe, Latin America, and Canada, signaling MetaMask’s ambition for global adoption.

Powered by Mastercard’s Network

Issued by Cross River Bank and enabled by fintech partner Monavate, the card leverages Mastercard’s global payment rails. This ensures compatibility with existing merchant infrastructure, allowing crypto holders to “tap and pay” anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

Onchain Rewards and Premium Options

Beyond convenience, MetaMask promises:

• Onchain rewards for spending, reinforcing its crypto-native ethos
• A premium Metal Card edition in the works, offering enhanced benefits and design

MetaMask Card vs Traditional Crypto Cards

Feature	MetaMask Card	Typical Crypto Cards
Custody of Assets	Self-custodial (user retains control)	Custodial (exchange holds funds)
Payment Method	Direct from wallet	Pre-loaded balance
Rewards	Onchain crypto rewards	Fiat or exchange-based rewards
Global Acceptance	Mastercard network	Varies by issuer
Digital Wallet Support	Apple Pay, Google Pay	Limited

Why It Matters

This launch represents a strategic leap for mainstream crypto adoption:

• Self-Custody First: Users retain control of their private keys, aligning with Web3 principles
• Frictionless Payments: No need for conversions or pre-loading balances
• Mass Acceptance: Backed by Mastercard’s global merchant network

Source: MetaMask official announcement and Mastercard press release.

Prayaan Capital Raises ₹110 Crore Series A Led by Peak XV Partners to Bridge India’s $300B MSME Credit Gap

Prayaan Capital, led by Rangarajan Krishnan (Ranga), former JMD and CEO of publicly listed Five-Star Business Finance, today announced that it has raised INR 110 crore in its Series A round led by Peak XV Partners.

Rangarajan Krishnan

Rangarajan Krishnan had recently acquired a controlling stake in Prayaan Capital. He aims to transform Prayaan into a new-age MSME lending platform, expanding access to credit for India’s small businesses by combining deep on-ground underwriting expertise with a technology-first approach across sourcing, underwriting, and collections. The company will focus on serving underserved MSMEs across India, a segment that continues to face an estimated USD 300 billion credit gap.

India’s approximately 70 million MSMEs employ nearly 300 million people and play a critical role in driving economic growth. Yet access to formal credit remains limited for many, creating a large and enduring opportunity for new-age lenders built with both operational discipline and modern technology at their core.

Ranga brings more than two decades of experience across financial services. As JMD and CEO of Five-Star Business Finance, he helped scale the company into one of India’s leading MSME lenders, culminating in a successful public listing in 2022. Peak XV has known and partnered with Ranga for over 15 years, including during his leadership journey at Five-Star, and is now partnering with him from day one as he builds Prayaan Capital.

Prayaan Capital seeks to build an institution that combines the proven strengths of branch-led distribution with a technology-enabled operating model. The company aims to leverage digital tools alongside deep customer understanding to improve credit access and serve small businesses more effectively.

Rangarajan Krishnan, Promoter, Prayaan Capital, said: "Small businesses are the backbone of India’s economy, yet millions remain underserved by formal credit. Prayaan Capital is built on the belief that combining deep customer understanding with technology can meaningfully expand access. I am grateful to partner with Peak XV, who have been long-term believers in this segment and have supported me through multiple chapters of my journey."

GV Ravishankar, Managing Director, Peak XV, said: "We have known Ranga for over 15 years, and our partnership has been shaped by a shared commitment to expanding access to credit for small businesses. He and his team bring deep experience and a genuine obsession with serving this segment well. Having seen firsthand the impact they created at Five-Star, we are excited to partner with them from day one as they build Prayaan Capital."

The investment will be used to build Prayaan Capital’s lending platform, expand its team, and grow its presence across key MSME markets in India.

About Prayaan Capital

Prayaan Capital is a technology -enabled MSME lending platform focused on expanding access to credit for India’s small businesses. Led by Rangarajan Krishnan, former CEO of Five-Star Business Finance, the company combines deep underwriting expertise with modern technology to serve underserved entrepreneurs across India.

About Peak XV Partners

Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA) is a leading venture capital firm investing across India, APAC and beyond. Over the last 20 years of operations in the region, Peak XV has grown to manage over USD 10 billion in capital across 16 funds and has invested in over 450 companies. The portfolio has seen over 35 IPOs and several successful M&As to date. To know more, please visit www.peakxv.com.

Immune-Boosting Fruits: What to Eat Daily to Strengthen Your Body’s Natural Defences

Ms   S K, Nutritionist, Aster RV Hospital

A robust immune system relies on a constant intake of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and natural plant compounds. Of all the food sources, fruits are the richest in these nutrients that support immune system the most. Having different types of seasonal fruits as the daily diet helps the body resist infections, lessen inflammation, and recover quicker from sickness. These are some of the most vital fruits that increase immunity and their significance.

Fruits That Are High in Vitamin C and Antioxidants

The production and activity of white blood cells are facilitated by vitamin C, which in turn, helps to strengthen the body's immune system. The best sources of vitamin C include the citrus group - which comprises oranges, lemons, soft lime, grapefruit and mandarin. Besides, they help the body to defend itself against viruses, bacteria, and other factors causing the inflammation and to recover from such activities faster.

Indian gooseberry (amla) tops the list as the most potent source of natural vitamin C. It not only boosts immunity but also improves digestion, assists the liver and protects white blood cells from oxidative stress.

Guava is another fruit that is loaded with vitamin C and antioxidant-rich vitamin A and thus, strengthens and reinforces the body’s natural defence system.

Kiwi not only delivers vitamin C but also vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate, all of which are supportive of the immune system and have the property of reducing damage by oxidative stress.

Fruits That Support Gut Health and Reduce Inflammation

There is a strong connection between a healthy gut and a vigorous immune system. Berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries possess flavonoids and fibre in the highest concentration, which respectively reduce and support the gut bacteria. The antioxidants present in these fruits help in the regulation of immune responses and also offer protection against the damage caused to the cells.

Apple, particularly when consumed along with its skin, has pectin and quercetin playing the major role. These two compounds promote the health of the gut, reduce swelling and assist in controlling the immune reactions.

Banana is a rich source of Vitamin B6 which is important for the production of antibodies and also acts as a natural prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria present in the gut. It is very gentle for the stomach and therefore suits the ill or recovering person.

Fruits That Strengthen the Body's Natural Defense Mechanisms

Certain fruits provide immunity support through their physical barrier maintenance and overall resilience capacity improvement. Papaya provides high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and digestive enzymes such as papain. Vitamin A protects first the skin and then the mucosal lining, which together form the primary barrier to infections, and slows down the digestion process at the same time.

The polyphenols of the pomegranate are very strong, they not only fight inflammation but also reverse the effect on the immune cells. That plus the fact that it improves blood circulation makes the immune cells reach quickly the areas where they are needed most and this together with the body fighting infections makes a very efficient system of fighting infections indeed.

Today, the daily intake of various fresh and seasonal fruits guarantees a constant flow of nutrients that support the immune system. The last fruits, in conjunction with proper sleep, good water intake, exercise, and a balanced diet, are very important for the body's immunity to be strong and resistant.

Consumer AI Startup Companion Labs Raises $2.5M to Create Interactive, Local‑Language Entertainment Experiences in India

Companion Labs, a consumer AI company building interactive, entertainment-led experiences for India’s vernacular and culturally diverse audiences, today announced it has raised $2.5 million in seed funding led by Peak XV’s Surge, with participation from All in Capital, UntitledVC, DeVC and many angels.

The announcement follows Companion Labs’ participation at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi last week, where the company was featured at the summit’s flagship Impact AI PitchFest, a platform spotlighting high-potential early-stage AI startups. Companion Labs was among a select group of companies backed by Peak XV at the event, highlighting growing investor conviction in founders building AI-native products designed specifically for India’s next wave of internet users.

Companion Labs operates at the intersection of AI and entertainment, creating immersive, character-driven experiences that allow users to explore alternate lives, careers, and aspirations through AI-powered narratives. Rather than positioning AI primarily as a productivity tool, the company treats AI as a creative medium, enabling people to “live” parallel lives in richly contextual worlds shaped by language, culture, and personal ambition.

The company is building from the ground up for India, with experiences designed to reflect the linguistic, cultural, and social nuances of Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 audiences. Companion Labs is focused on vernacular languages including Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi, and Bengali, targeting a young, aspirational, and digitally native population for whom entertainment has historically driven the fastest adoption of new technology.

This focus aligns with a broader shift highlighted at the India AI Impact Summit, where founders and investors pointed to consumer-facing, population-scale AI products built in local languages as a key driver of India’s AI opportunity.

Companion Labs was founded by Akshay Jhanwar and Ajit Pol, who bring complementary experience across consumer internet, gaming, and entertainment. Ajit previously held roles at Flipkart, Leap, and in gaming, while Akshay spent over four years at Cred. The founding insight emerged from their early experimentation with global AI character platforms, which they found were largely Western in tone and context, limiting their resonance with Indian users.

“India’s next wave of AI adoption will be driven by consumer experiences that feel native to our languages, cultures, and aspirations,” said Akshay Jhanwar, Co-founder, Companion Labs. “We are building AI as a new form of entertainment, where people can explore alternate paths and identities in ways that feel deeply personal and rooted in their own context.”

Ajit Pol, Co-founder, Companion Labs, added, “Entertainment has always been the gateway to mass technology adoption in India. With AI, storytelling becomes interactive and personalised at scale. Our ambition is to build category-defining consumer AI experiences from India, for India.”

Companion Labs will use the funding to accelerate product development, invest in AI capabilities, and continue refining its product as it works toward product-market fit. Over the long term, the company aims to define a new category of AI-native entertainment built specifically for India’s vernacular internet users.

About Companion Labs

Companion Labs is a consumer AI company building interactive, entertainment-led experiences tailored for India’s vernacular and culturally diverse audiences. Founded by Akshay Jhanwar and Ajit Pol, the company uses AI-powered characters and narratives to let users explore alternate lives, careers, and aspirations in deeply local contexts. Built from India for India, Companion Labs reflects a broader shift toward consumer AI experiences that prioritise language, culture, and storytelling over generic utility.

upGrad Acquires World's Largest Internship Platform Internshala

upGrad, Asia's leading integrated skilling and workforce development company, today announced the acquisition of Internshala, the world’s largest early-talent marketplace, for an undisclosed amount — in a 90% stock-swap transaction. 

The acquisition strengthens upGrad’s position across the full career lifecycle — connecting education, skilling, and employment on a single platform. Founded in 2010, Internshala has built a community of over 34 million registered users and 450,000 employers, with ~3 million active applicants annually. The platform sees most of its traffic organically and serves students across India, including more than 40% from Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.

With the integration, upGrad reinforces its commitment to building structured ecosystems for learners and employers — enabling students to discover internships, build job-ready skills, and transition into full- time roles more efficiently. To fuel this growth, upGrad will invest additional resources to accelerate product innovation, AI-led talent matching, and enterprise hiring models, with a target to scale Internshala’s ₹45 crore revenue base to ₹100 crore and beyond.

Commenting on this acquisition, Chirag Samdaria, Head – Corporate Strategy & Growth, upGrad said “Education and employment in India have operated in silos for too long. This acquisition allows us to strengthen the earliest layer of the career journey - where intent is highest and outcomes can be meaningful. By bridging work opportunities with structured skilling, we are building a more aligned talent ecosystem for both learners and employers.”

Internshala will continue to operate as an independent brand, led by Founder & CEO Sarvesh Agrawal, leveraging upGrad’s scale, technology, and learning ecosystem to expand its offerings and reach.

“This is a very natural partnership where learning meets opportunity. In the last 15 years, Internshala has democratized career start for students. Joining hands with upGrad will allow us to amplify our impact by skilling millions of candidates, offer pre-trained talent to companies at scale, and together become the default launchpad for every graduate's career”, added Sarvesh Agrawal, Founder & CEO, Internshala. Investec acted as exclusive financial advisor to Internshala.

This acquisition marks a key milestone in upGrad’s mission to power India’s skilling economy — supporting millions of learners and organisations through career-aligned education and employment pathways.

About upGrad

Started in 2015, upGrad — Asia's leading integrated skilling and workforce development company, powering the complete learning cycle of individuals. It offers a range of online and hybrid skilling programs and certifications under its B2C portfolio and facilitates top Indian and global universities to offer their Diploma, Master’s, and Executive Doctorates, with all degrees awarded solely by the respective universities, supporting every career stage of individuals - from first job to boardroom. Additionally, selected programs are tailored for Enterprise clients under the corporate skilling division, along with other recruitment and staffing services. More details at (https://www.upgrad.com)

About Internshala

Internshala is the world’s largest early-career marketplace with 35Mn registered users and 70,000 companies. Founded by two IIT Madras alumni, Internshala is democratising career-start for students in India without them needing luck or experience (https://internshala.com/)