Mastercard has unveiled plans to offer card issuers and acquirers the option to settle certain transactions using regulated stablecoins. This new capability aims to enhance liquidity management by enabling intraday, weekend, and holiday settlement both in fiat currency and on blockchain networks.

The expansion signals a growing integration of stablecoins within established payment infrastructures, reflecting Mastercard's ongoing commitment to digitized settlement solutions. The move follows the company obtaining a New York BitLicense, which permits its US transaction services to engage in regulated digital asset activities in the state.

Among the stablecoins supported are Circle’s USDC, Paxos-issued PYUSD, USDG, USDP, Ripple’s RLUSD, and SoFi’s SoFiUSD. These tokens will be operable across several prominent blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, XRPL, Arbitrum, Base, Canton, and Tempo, facilitating broader interoperability.

Initial adoption is expected from partners such as ARQ (previously DolarApp), CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank, and Nuvei, particularly within the United States and Latin American markets. Mastercard highlights that this stablecoin settlement option offers greater timing flexibility for transaction clearing and liquidity management, potentially reshaping how traditional card payments are processed.

This development in Mastercard's network follows similar initiatives by other major payment firms. Visa recently reported that its stablecoin settlement pilot reached a significant annualized volume milestone, having expanded support to nine blockchains to diversify settlement pathways for issuers and acquirers.

The stablecoin market currently holds an estimated value near $320 billion, underpinning why payment companies are intensifying their efforts to integrate these digital assets into mainstream financial transactions.

The remittance sector also continues to advance stablecoin adoption. Recently, MoneyGram launched its USD-pegged stablecoin MGUSD on the Stellar network for treasury management and currency trading within the US. Similarly, Western Union introduced USDPT, a Solana-based stablecoin, initially deployed in the Philippines and Bolivia with plans for wider international rollout in 2026.