Global payments giant Mastercard has expanded its settlement capabilities to include several major stablecoins like Ripple’s RLUSD and Circle’s USDC. The company announced this move as part of its strategy to integrate blockchain into traditional finance, enabling transactions across networks such as XRPL, Solana, and Ethereum.
Mastercard announced broader settlement capabilities that now include several stablecoins. These assets are Ripple’s RLUSD, Circle’s USDC, Paxos-issued PYUSD, USDG, and USDP, and SoFi’s SoFiUSD.
The crypto assets linked to the U.S. dollar will be enabled across a wide range of supported networks. These networks include XRPL, Solana, Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Base.
The company reveals that it is expanding its infrastructure to allow merchants and partners to settle transactions using the aforementioned assets. This is considered a significant evolution from pilot programs into more practical, real-world applications.
The firm has been building out its crypto strategy through its Multi-Token Network (MTN). Most recently, it outlined a new collaboration that included some industry giants such as Binance, Ripple, and PayPal.
Its stablecoin initiatives saw a major push in March when Mastercard announced the acquisition of a payments firm called BVNK. The acquisition was valued at $1.8 billion.
The company’s latest move on the stablecoin scene comes as demand quickly grows for faster and cheaper cross-border transactions. These assets are increasingly viewed as a viable alternative to legacy correspondent-backing systems.
“The next phase of stablecoin adoption is about real-world utility, especially in settlement, where timing and liquidity matter most. By introducing intraday and weekend on settlement options across our global network, we’re expanding how partners manage liquidity and operate in an always-on digital economy while maintaining the trust, resilience and safeguards they expect from Mastercard,” commented Raj Dhamodharan, executive vice president, Blockchain & Digital Assets at Mastercard.
