Circle partners with Mastercard and Finastra! USDC stablecoin accelerates integration into the global Payment Network.

Stablecoins are moving towards the mainstream financial stage. The US stablecoin issuer Circle announced a strategic partnership with payment giant Mastercard and fintech company Finastra to directly integrate USD Coin (USDC) and Euro stablecoin (EURC) into the global payment and banking system, covering Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and over 50 countries. This move marks a new phase of penetration for USDC in the realm of cross-border settlement and international business payments.

Mastercard Launches Stablecoin Settlement Services

Mastercard announced on Wednesday that it will support acquirers and merchants in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region to use USDC and EURC for transaction settlement.

Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services will be the first to adopt this service, which is also the first time Mastercard has offered stablecoin Settlement functionality in the region.

This move will enable local merchants to complete settlements directly on the blockchain, reducing cross-border payment costs and shortening clearing times.

Finastra brings USDC to the bank-grade payment platform

The London-based financial software provider Finastra announced on the same day that it has integrated USDC into its Global PAYplus platform, which processes over $5 trillion in cross-border transactions daily.

This integration will allow banks from 50 countries to settle international payments in USDC, enabling the use of stablecoins for clearing at the settlement layer even when payment instructions are denominated in fiat currency, further enhancing transaction efficiency and transparency.

Legislation and Cooperation to Promote the Globalization of USDC

Since the U.S. Congress passed the GENIUS Act in July and established the first federal stablecoin regulatory framework, Circle has been actively expanding international cooperation:

July 31: Collaborating with major global exchanges to launch zero-fee exchanges for USDC and USD, enhancing liquidity and expanding international market coverage.

Early August: Senior executives visit the four major banks in South Korea (KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori) to discuss the possibility of on-chain integration and the issuance of a Korean won stablecoin.

Japan Market: Established a joint venture with SBI Group, Ripple, and Startale to promote the adoption of USDC in Japan and develop a tokenization trading platform for real-world assets (RWA).

Industry Impact and Future Outlook

The cooperation with Mastercard and Finastra means that USDC will no longer be limited to cryptocurrency exchanges and the DeFi space, but will further enter global banking and commercial payment infrastructure.

Analysts believe this will accelerate the application of stablecoins in cross-border trade, international remittances, and global e-commerce, and may become an important milestone in the integration of traditional payment networks and the blockchain world.

Conclusion

Circle is leveraging strategic partnerships and regulatory compliance to position USDC as a core tool for global payments. With Mastercard enabling stablecoin settlements in emerging markets and Finastra integrating USDC into its banking-grade payment platform, stablecoins are gradually becoming a part of the international financial infrastructure. In the future, USDC may become the "new dollar" for global commercial transactions and cross-border settlements.