Hassan Maishera
TL;DR
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Mastercard will introduce new settlement options designed to make payments faster, more flexible, and available around the clock.
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The new framework will allow intraday, weekend, holiday, and on-chain settlement across networks such as Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, and XRPL.
Mastercard is expanding its settlement infrastructure to include regulated stablecoins, marking a significant step toward integrating blockchain-based assets into global payment rails.
The company announced Wednesday that it will introduce new settlement options designed to make payments faster, more flexible, and available around the clock.
Stablecoin Settlement to Run Alongside Traditional Fiat Rails
Mastercard said issuers and acquirers will gain access to intraday settlement, weekend settlement, holiday settlement, and on-chain settlement using regulated stablecoins
These capabilities will operate alongside existing fiat-based systems, allowing financial institutions to manage liquidity more efficiently across different settlement windows.
In its initial rollout, Mastercard will support settlement using several major regulated stablecoins, including:
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Circle’s USDC
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Paxos-issued PYUSD, USDG, and USDP
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Ripple’s RLUSD
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SoFiUSD
These assets will be usable across multiple blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, and XRP Ledger (XRPL)
Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s executive vice president of blockchain and digital assets, said the industry is entering a new stage of adoption.
“The next phase of stablecoin adoption is about real-world utility, especially in settlement, where timing and liquidity matter most,” he said.
The company’s strategy signals a broader push by global payment networks to modernize settlement infrastructure using blockchain technology.
Financial Institutions Line Up for Early Adoption
Mastercard said several banks and payment firms are expected to be among the first to participate in stablecoin settlement, including Cross River, Lead Bank, CBW Bank, ARQ, and Nuvei
Initial deployments are expected across the United States and Latin America.
The move comes amid rising competition among traditional payment giants, fintech firms, and stablecoin issuers such as Circle and Ripple, all seeking to modernize global settlement systems.
As these firms expand blockchain-based payment rails, stablecoins are increasingly moving from crypto-native tools to foundational components of financial infrastructure.
