Ethereum’s market capitalisation has climbed to about $571.3 billion, overtaking Mastercard’s roughly $541.5 billion valuation, according to industry price trackers on 23 August. The move makes the cryptocurrency the 22nd most valuable asset globally, edging past the payments giant in the league table of publicly traded companies and commodities. The milestone extends a rally that has lifted digital-asset prices over the summer. Beyond its market-cap gains, Ethereum’s blockchain handled more transactions in 2024 than Mastercard’s payment network, underscoring the growing use of decentralised finance alongside traditional card-based spending.