VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs VeriSign, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Mastercard Incorporated

MA · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$516.9B
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Mastercard Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MA analysis

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 77 / 100 for Mastercard Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

Primary market context

Mastercard Incorporated

Payment Network

Market

Four-party card payment network (switching, acceptance, and network-related services)

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, acquirers, merchants, account holders

Role

Network operator (authorization, clearing, settlement) and rules/standards steward

Revenue share

61.5%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$516.9B
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Payment Network
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
29.7% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
77 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network EffectsData Workflow Lockin

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.