Global payments giant Mastercard has taken another major step toward integrating blockchain with traditional finance by expanding its settlement capabilities to include several stablecoins. The newly supported assets include Ripple’s RLUSD, Circle’s USDC, Paxos-issued PYUSD and USDP, USDG, and SoFi’s SoFiUSD.
These US dollar–pegged crypto assets will be available across multiple networks, including the XRP Ledger (XRPL), Solana, Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Base, enabling broader interoperability between digital assets and existing payment rails.
Settling Transactions with Stablecoins
Mastercard’s announcement explains that the company is enhancing its infrastructure so merchants and partners can settle transactions using the listed stablecoins. This marks a clear shift from experimental pilots toward practical, real-world applications that can be used at scale.
The company has been developing its crypto strategy through the Multi-Token Network (MTN), a platform intended to bridge traditional finance and digital assets. As part of that work, Mastercard has forged partnerships across the industry and outlined collaborations that involve major players.
In March, Mastercard accelerated its push into stablecoin payments by acquiring BVNK, a payments firm focused on digital asset custody and settlement, for $1.8 billion. That acquisition supports the company’s goal of offering robust infrastructure for institutional participants and payment service providers.
RLUSD has drawn attention because of Ripple’s established role in cross-border transfers, but Mastercard’s expanded support explicitly includes a wider set of established stablecoins such as USDC and PYUSD. Both USDC and PYUSD are already seeing adoption in institutional and payment use cases, and Mastercard is positioning itself as a neutral infrastructure provider rather than endorsing any single issuer.
Stablecoins’ Growing Role
Mastercard’s move comes amid rising demand for faster, lower-cost cross-border payments. Stablecoins are increasingly considered a practical alternative to traditional correspondent-banked systems because they can enable near-instant settlement and reduce transaction costs.
By broadening its stablecoin support, Mastercard signals growing confidence in the long-term role these digital assets can play within the global financial system. The company emphasizes commitments to regulatory compliance, security, and interoperability—factors that are essential for institutional adoption and for maintaining trust in payments infrastructure.
“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.
Overall, Mastercard’s expanded settlement capabilities reflect a broader industry trend: the integration of digital assets into established financial systems. By supporting multiple stablecoins across several networks, the company aims to provide flexible settlement options that help merchants, banks, and payment providers manage liquidity more effectively and deliver faster, more cost-efficient transactions for customers worldwide.