Mastercard and Circle have expanded their partnership, enabling acquiring institutions in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) to settle card transactions using USDC or EURC stablecoins on Mastercard’s network. This marks the first time stablecoin settlement is available on Mastercard's network in the region, with Arab Financial Services and Bahrain-based Eazy Financial Services as the initial acquirers.

• This initiative allows for faster availability of funds and reduced FX friction for merchants.
• Circle’s USDC and EURC are fully reserved and redeemable for fiat, now directly integrated into an incumbent card network's settlement layer.
• This development could significantly benefit cross-border settlement for businesses in Africa, particularly given the region's existing comfort with digital money.