Mastercard is expanding its settlement options to include stablecoin, intraday, weekend and holiday processing across its global payments network.
The new options are designed to give issuers and acquirers more flexibility over when and how they settle card transactions, particularly in payment flows where timing and visibility matter, including cross-border payments, treasury operations and payouts.
Mastercard's network already supports several settlement models for financial institutions and payment providers. The latest move adds new timing options to those arrangements and introduces on-chain settlement using regulated stablecoins alongside fiat currency settlement.
It will support settlement using Circle's USDC; Paxos-issued stablecoins PYUSD, USDG and USDP; Ripple's RLUSD; and SoFiUSD. These assets are expected to be enabled across supported blockchain networks, including Arbitrum, Base, Canton, Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Tempo and XRPL.
Early participants expected to support stablecoin settlement in the United States and Latin America include ARQ, CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank and Nuvei. The rollout will continue globally, subject to regulation, with additional regions, partners and regulated stablecoins added over time.
The move marks another step by a major card network to bring digital asset settlement into mainstream payments infrastructure. Rather than replacing current systems, the new arrangements will sit alongside existing processes used by issuers and acquirers.
That means partners will be able to use both traditional and digital asset-based settlement through the same network infrastructure they already use for card transactions. Existing security standards, fraud safeguards and dispute processes will remain in place.
Settlement timing has become a more prominent issue for payments groups and their clients, as cross-border activity, treasury management demands, and round-the-clock commerce put pressure on systems built around standard banking hours. Weekend, holiday and intraday settlement could allow firms to manage funding and liquidity more closely, particularly when transaction volumes shift outside conventional operating windows.
Stablecoin settlement adds another option for firms looking to move funds across blockchain networks while maintaining ties to regulated, fiat-backed digital assets. Mastercard framed it as part of a broader effort to support stablecoins and digital assets across acceptance, settlement and programmable payment flows.
"The next phase of stablecoin adoption is about real-world utility, especially in settlement, where timing and liquidity matter most," said Raj Dhamodharan, Executive Vice President, Blockchain & Digital Assets at Mastercard. "By introducing intraday and weekend on settlement options across our global network, we're expanding how partners manage liquidity and operate in an always-on digital economy while maintaining the trust, resilience and safeguards they expect from Mastercard."
Several partners involved in the early stages of the rollout pointed to demand for faster settlement and broader operating hours.
"At ARQ, stablecoins have been core to our infrastructure from day one. They're how we deliver real-time, cross-border financial solutions at a fraction of traditional costs," said Álvaro Correa, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at ARQ. "Partnering with Mastercard to enable on-chain settlement is a major step toward building the financial infrastructure we envision for the Americas."
"As demand grows for faster and more flexible movement of money, organizations are increasingly seeking infrastructure that can operate beyond traditional banking hours," said Kash Razzaghi, Chief Commercial Officer at Circle. "Mastercard's expanded settlement capabilities help meet that need, offering greater choice in how value is transferred and settled. We're proud to support these efforts through USDC and help advance the use of regulated stablecoins in global payments."
Cross River said it had seen rising interest among its partners in quicker, more transparent settlement.
"We've seen firsthand the accelerating demand from our partners for faster, more transparent settlement - and stablecoins have emerged as a powerful tool to meet that need," said Luca Cosentino, Head of On-Chain Finance at Cross River. "Mastercard's decision to bring on-chain settlement to its global network validates what we've been building toward: a future where digital asset rails operate seamlessly alongside traditional payments infrastructure. Cross River is thrilled to be at the forefront of this evolution."
Lead Bank linked the move to a broader shift toward continuous financial infrastructure in the United States.
"Partnering with Mastercard to help bring this network to life reflects Lead's commitment to building the rails that make regulated digital assets practical for institutions and their customers at scale," said Jackie Reses, CEO and Co-Founder of Lead Bank. "At Lead, we believe the future of financial infrastructure is 24/7, and on-chain settlement is where that future becomes real. We're proud to be among the first platforms to deliver this capability in the United States and see this as a foundational step toward a more efficient, always-on financial system."
Nuvei said the arrangement broadens settlement choices for customers using its payments infrastructure.
"As part of Nuvei's broader strategy to bring stablecoin capabilities into payments infrastructure, this collaboration with Mastercard extends settlement options alongside traditional payment rails, creating new opportunities for customers to improve liquidity, streamline global disbursements, and gain greater flexibility in how funds move," said Phil Fayer, CEO of Nuvei.
Other stablecoin issuers also described the move as a sign that blockchain-based settlement is being integrated into established payment systems.
"The future of settlement is programmable, instant and global," said Peter Jonas, Chief Revenue Officer at Paxos.
"Paxos's regulated infrastructure gives partners like Mastercard a trusted path to on-chain settlement using PYUSD, USDG and USDP that works seamlessly alongside existing systems, helping advance more efficient payment flows," Jonas added.
"Mastercard's move into on-chain settlement is a landmark validation that blockchain technology is ready for the world's most critical payment infrastructure," said Jack McDonald, Senior Vice President, Stablecoins at Ripple. "RLUSD's inclusion in Mastercard's global settlement network reflects growing demand for trusted, regulated stablecoins built for real-world financial use cases on public blockchains like the XRP Ledger. We're excited to support the next evolution of faster, more flexible, always-on settlement."