For the first time, acquirers and merchants in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) can now settle transactions in USDC across Mastercard’s global payments network. This milestone is part of an expanded partnership between Mastercard and Circle, deepening their collaboration to integrate fully reserved, regulated stablecoins like USDC and EURC into mainstream payments.
This initiative marks a significant step in connecting blockchain-native assets to traditional commerce infrastructure. By enabling acquirers in EEMEA to settle in stablecoins, Mastercard is reducing friction in high-volume settlement, improving liquidity, and creating new opportunities for digital trade in emerging markets. Arab Financial Services (AFS) and Eazy Financial Services will be the first acquirers to adopt the new model.
The expansion builds on existing collaborations between the two companies in the region, including crypto card programs with Bybit and S1LKPAY that already use USDC to settle transactions. With this latest development, acquirers can settle in USDC or EURC and extend those efficiencies to merchants, paving the way for scalable, trusted, and real-time digital payments.
Dimitrios Dosis, President of EEMEA at Mastercard, commented:“Our goal is to bring stablecoins into the financial mainstream by building the infrastructure, governance, and partnerships required for this evolution from fiat to tokenized money. Trust is critical to scale, and Mastercard is proud to apply decades of expertise in security and compliance to advance stablecoin adoption.”
Kash Razzaghi, Chief Business Officer at Circle, added:“Expanding USDC settlement across Mastercard’s vast network in EEMEA represents a pivotal step toward borderless, real-time commerce. Together we are enabling stablecoins to become as ubiquitous as traditional payments.”
Regional acquirers emphasized the strategic importance of the innovation. Samer Soliman, CEO of AFS, noted:“This initiative delivers the future-ready infrastructure our clients need, addressing a clear demand for greater efficiency and liquidity while ensuring security and regulatory compliance.”
Nayef Al Alawi, CEO of Eazy Financial Services, said:“This collaboration sets a new standard for digital settlement in the region and underscores our mission to deliver faster, more secure, and efficient solutions for merchants and consumers.”
Mastercard continues to champion stablecoin adoption globally through initiatives like Mastercard Move and its Multi-Token Network (MTN), while leveraging Crypto Credential and Crypto Secure to uphold compliance and safety. As stablecoins scale across EEMEA, Mastercard’s strategy remains focused on regulation, utility, and resilience, cementing its role at the forefront of payments innovation.
//Staff writer