Mastercard Starts USDC and EURC Stablecoin Settlements in EEMEA
Date: 2025-08-28 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BUSINESS
Payment company Mastercard has announced an expansion of its partnership with Circle, which has given acquirers in the EEMEA region the ability to process settlements in USDC and EURC stablecoins. An acquirer is a bank or financial institution that processes payments for businesses that accept cards or issues cash.
The technology is integrated with blockchain, but is fully compatible with Mastercard's traditional payment channels. The first participants in the program, Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services, have already begun accepting Circle digital currencies. This initiative is aimed at simplifying cross-border trade and reducing costs for businesses, especially in developing countries.
Mastercard emphasized that it continues to support the development of stablecoins at the global level. In addition to USDC, the company works with regulated digital currencies from other issuers, including USDG (Paxos), FIUSD (Fiserv), and PYUSD (PayPal). In February 2025, Mastercard announced that its top priority would be integrating cryptocurrencies into existing financial services.
Analysts note that such a step helps accelerate the adoption of digital currencies in traditional settlements, reduces transaction costs, and opens up new opportunities for international business. At the same time, cooperation with Circle demonstrates Mastercard's growing interest in digital assets and strengthens its position in the cryptocurrency market.
Experts believe that expanding the use of stablecoins in the EEMEA region will allow banks to quickly adapt to the digital economy and offer customers modern payment methods. The adoption of USDC and EURC also creates the potential for integration with other innovative financial instruments, making this step strategically important for the development of financial infrastructure.
Thus, Mastercard continues to move towards the digitalization of the payment system, while supporting safe and regulated forms of digital assets. The partnership with Circle opens up new opportunities for banks and businesses in the EEMEA region, and helps to strengthen trust in stablecoins as a tool for international payments.
The technology upgrade and integration of stablecoins indicate that the future of financial services will increasingly be built on the combination of blockchain and traditional payment systems. This move by Mastercard could become an example for other major players in the market, stimulating the growth of digital currencies in the global economy.
