PURCHASE, N.Y.--Mastercard said it is expanding its settlement capabilities to include additional intraday, weekend and holiday settlement options, as well as support for on-chain settlement using regulated stablecoins, marking a significant step in the payments giant’s broader push into digital assets and always-on payments.
The company said the enhancements will give card issuers and acquirers more flexibility in how they settle transactions across Mastercard’s global network, helping institutions better manage liquidity while offering new options for moving money. Mastercard said the changes are particularly relevant for cross-border payments, treasury operations and payout use cases where timing and transparency are critical.
As part of the initiative, Mastercard will support settlement using regulated stablecoins including Circle’s USDC, Paxos-issued PYUSD, USDG and USDP, Ripple’s RLUSD and SoFi’s SoFiUSD. The company said the stablecoins will operate across multiple blockchain networks, including Arbitrum, Base, Canton, Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Tempo and XRPL.
Mastercard said ARQ, CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank and Nuvei are expected to be among the first institutions to support stablecoin-based settlement in the United States and Latin America, with broader expansion planned through 2026. The company noted that stablecoin settlement will be offered alongside existing settlement processes, allowing financial institutions to adopt digital asset capabilities at their own pace.
“The next phase of stablecoin adoption is about real-world utility, especially in settlement, where timing and liquidity matter most,” Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s executive vice president of Blockchain and Digital Assets, said in a statement.
Mastercard said the expanded settlement capabilities are designed to operate within its existing payments infrastructure while maintaining current security standards, fraud protections and dispute-management processes.