Mastercard Expands Stablecoin Settlement Support With USDC, PYUSD and RLUSD

Mastercard has announced a major expansion of its settlement network, adding support for several regulated stablecoins as demand for blockchain based payments continues to grow worldwide.

The payments giant said issuers and acquirers will now be able to settle transactions using both traditional fiat currencies and regulated stablecoins, including USDC, PYUSD, USDG, USDP, RLUSD, and SoFiUSD.

Faster Settlement Beyond Traditional Banking Hours

One of the key benefits of the new system is the ability to process settlements during weekends, holidays, and outside normal banking hours. Mastercard said the upgrade will provide greater flexibility while maintaining existing security protections, fraud controls, and dispute resolution processes.

The stablecoin settlement service will operate across multiple blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, Canton, Tempo, and the XRP Ledger.

First Partners Join Rollout

Several financial institutions and payment providers are expected to be among the first participants in the rollout, including ARQ, CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank, and Nuvei. Initial deployment will focus on the United States and Latin America, with broader expansion planned through 2026.

Mastercard also agreed to acquire stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion and recently granted Principal Membership status to stablecoin card issuer Rain.

Stablecoin Market Continues Growing

The move comes as competition among global payment companies intensifies. Several major firms are expanding stablecoin settlement services as digital payment adoption increases.

The total supply of dollar backed stablecoins is now approaching $300 billion. Tether’s USDT remains the largest stablecoin with approximately $188 billion in circulation, while Circle’s USDC holds around $76 billion, making it the second-largest stablecoin by market value.