Mastercard expands its settlement network to support USDC, PYUSD, RLUSD and other regulated stablecoins across multiple blockchains.
Stablecoin News
Mastercard is set to expand settlement across its global payments network to support regulated stablecoins alongside fiat, the company announced on June 3. The enhancements add intraday, weekend, and holiday settlement, letting issuers and acquirers settle outside standard banking hours.
Six regulated stablecoins are supported at launch: Circle's USD Coin (USDC), Paxos-issued PayPal USD (PYUSD), Global Dollar (USDG), Pax Dollar (USDP), Ripple USD (RLUSD), and SoFi's SoFiUSD. Settlement runs across eight networks, including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, and the XRP Ledger, plus Canton and Tempo.
The stablecoin rails run alongside Mastercard's current fiat process without disrupting it, and existing security standards, fraud safeguards, and dispute resolution will remain in place. ARQ, formerly DolarApp, along with CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank, and Nuvei are set to be among the first users in the United States and Latin America, with wider expansion planned through 2026.
Mastercard Builds on Recent Crypto Moves
The expansion follows a string of recent steps into crypto. Mastercard secured a BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services in May 2026. In March 2026, it agreed to buy stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, which covers a $1.5 billion base plus up to $300 million tied to performance targets. The company also granted Principal Membership to card issuer Rain in May 2026.
Rivals are moving into the same space. Visa expanded its stablecoin settlement pilot to nine blockchains in April 2026, reaching a $7 billion annualized run rate, up 50% from the prior quarter. MoneyGram launched its MGUSD stablecoin on Stellar (XLM) on June 2, issued by Stripe-owned Bridge for its global payments network.
The timing tracks fast growth in stablecoins, with dollar-pegged supply nearing $300 billion. Tether (USDT) holds about $188 billion, or 63% of the market, while USDC sits near $76 billion, about 25%.
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