Union Bank and MaiCoin Group jointly announced the launch of the “Union MaiCoin Co-Branded Card” today, introducing a novel “U Coin” mechanism that converts everyday spending directly into crypto-redeemable points without the traditional bonus-point conversion step. During the promotional period, cardholders can earn up to 4.5% U Coin rewards. New cardholders automatically upgrade to Lv.2 for the first three months, earning 2.5% cashback. By completing MaiCoin membership registration through designated channels, users receive an additional 200 MAX Tokens, with the first 1,000 registrants getting an extra 50 tokens, plus a 300-token bonus upon first spend — totaling up to 550 MAX Tokens for new users.
Thermochromic Card Design and Financial Perks
The card features what Union Bank calls Taiwan’s first thermochromic technology: touching the card activates body heat, making the pattern shift colors. It also integrates an EasyCard e-ticket function, with selected promotions offering up to 20% rewards. On the financial side, cardholders can apply for a dedicated credit line of up to NT$4 million, with flexible repayment and no binding contract — a supplementary tool for those who use credit as liquidity.
U Coins vs. Traditional Reward Points
Previous crypto credit cards followed a path of spend→accumulate points→redeem crypto codes, involving an extra conversion layer. The U Coin mechanism on this card directly pegs each U Coin to NT$1 worth of crypto assets from the start. Once users accumulate 100 UB, they can swap for BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, or MAX Token.
Fourth Collaboration Between Union Bank and MaiCoin
This card marks the fourth joint initiative. Timeline highlights: Feb 2023 — MaiCoin enabled USD deposits via Union foreign currency accounts; Sep 2025 — Union became Taiwan’s first bank approved by the FSC for a virtual asset custody pilot, using MaiCoin’s AMIS cold wallet solution for BTC/ETH; Nov 2025 — Union launched a service converting reward points into crypto codes (1,100 points for NT$50 in BTC/ETH/USDT/USDC/MAX); now, the co-branded card with U Coin is live.
Union Bank President Hsu Wei-Wen disclosed that the bank is already a major shareholder in MaiCoin, emphasizing a long-term fintech and digital asset partnership. “Different banks have different strategies. Fubon has its own exchange, but we believe blockchain and cryptography are not our core strengths — we partner with the strongest players,” he said, hinting at deeper product collaboration as regulators gradually open up.
MaiCoin CEO on M&A Rumors
Recent market chatter has pointed to financial holding firms eyeing acquisitions of VASP exchanges, with Fubon and Union Bank among the names. MaiCoin Founder and CEO Alex Liu confirmed that “M&A talks have indeed taken place,” but argued that accepting a buyout at this stage might not be optimal. “Everyone has a price, but I believe digital assets will become indispensable in finance in the near future. This is a critical moment to accelerate. If other VASPs are pursuing acquisitions, I wish them well,” he said. Liu also highlighted the booming RWA market overseas (commodities, gold, silver, crude oil, pre-IPO token trading platforms) and expressed optimism about expansion once local regulators give the green light: “We’ve done our research and preparation.”