Circle, the company behind the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, has forged two major partnerships with payments giant Mastercard and financial software provider Finastra to integrate stablecoins into mainstream finance. These deals aim to expand the use of USDC for merchants and banks around the world.
Mastercard announced it will allow acquirers and merchants in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) to settle transactions in USDC and Euro Coin (EURC). This marks the first time Mastercard has offered stablecoin settlement in the region, with Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services as the first partners to adopt the service.
In a parallel announcement, London-based Finastra said it will integrate USDC into its Global PAYplus platform, which processes more than $5 trillion in cross-border transactions daily. This will enable banks in 50 countries to settle international payments in USDC, even if the payment instructions are still in traditional fiat currency. The integration is designed to make international payments faster and more efficient by reducing reliance on conventional banking networks.
These new partnerships are the latest moves in Circle’s strategy to drive global adoption of its stablecoins. The company’s efforts have accelerated since the passage of the GENIUS Act in the U.S. Congress in July, which created the first federal framework for stablecoins in the country.
Since the new law, Circle has announced a partnership with the crypto exchange OKX to enable zero-fee USDC conversions to U.S. dollars. This move expanded the stablecoin’s global liquidity and made it more appealing to traders in key international markets.
Circle is also focusing on expansion in Asia. The company’s executives have met with top banks in South Korea to explore on-chain integrations and the potential issuance of a won-backed stablecoin. Additionally, Circle has joined a joint venture with SBI Group, Ripple, and Startale to promote USDC adoption in Japan and develop a platform for tokenized real-world assets.
