Circle Expands USDC Into Global Finance
Circle is accelerating the adoption of USDC by embedding it into mainstream payment systems worldwide. On Wednesday, the company announced two major partnerships — with Mastercard and Finastra — that will expand stablecoin settlement across banking and merchant networks.
Mastercard confirmed it will allow acquirers and merchants in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) to settle transactions in both USDC and Euro Coin. The first partners in the rollout will be Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services, making this the first-ever stablecoin settlement offering on Mastercard in the region.
In parallel, London-based financial software firm Finastra announced the integration of USDC into its Global PAYplus platform, which handles more than $5 trillion in cross-border payments daily. This will enable banks in 50 countries to settle international transactions using USDC, even when the original instructions remain in fiat currencies.
Expanding the future of cross-border payments with @FinastraFS and @USDC.
— Circle (@circle) August 27, 2025
The collaboration will enable USDC settlement to Finastra’s established network of financial institutions that currently process over $5 trillion in daily cross-border transactions.… pic.twitter.com/jOFsvh5B8T
Expanding the future of cross-border payments with @FinastraFS and @USDC.
— Circle (@circle) August 27, 2025
The collaboration will enable USDC settlement to Finastra’s established network of financial institutions that currently process over $5 trillion in daily cross-border transactions.… pic.twitter.com/jOFsvh5B8T
Mastercard Opens Doors for Stablecoins
The move is one of Mastercard’s most ambitious steps toward stablecoin adoption. By embedding USDC and Euro Coin into its settlement systems, Mastercard is signaling that crypto-backed payments are ready for mainstream financial infrastructure.
Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services will act as early adopters, paving the way for other banks and merchants in the EEMEA region to accept stablecoin-based settlements.
This development represents a paradigm shift for payments in emerging markets, where stablecoins can reduce costs, speed up settlements, and offer more reliable cross-border transfers.
Circle Leverages GENIUS Act Momentum
Circle’s global push comes on the heels of the GENIUS Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in July, which created the first federal framework for stablecoins.
Since then, Circle has rapidly scaled its partnerships. On July 31, the company teamed up with OKX, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, to roll out zero-fee USDC-to-USD conversions — a move aimed at boosting USDC’s liquidity and attractiveness to global traders.
In August, Circle turned to Asia, holding meetings with the CEOs of South Korea’s four largest banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, and Woori — to discuss onchain integrations and even the issuance of a won-backed stablecoin.
Japan and the Push for Tokenized Assets
Circle also joined forces with SBI Group, Ripple, and Startale in a joint venture in Japan to drive USDC adoption and build a tokenized asset trading platform for real-world assets (RWAs).
By embedding itself across payment networks, banks, and tokenization ventures, Circle is positioning USDC as the stablecoin standard for global commerce.
What This Means for the Future of Payments
Circle’s latest partnerships mark a turning point in the integration of stablecoins into traditional finance. With Mastercard and Finastra now on board, stablecoin settlement will no longer be confined to crypto-native platforms but will instead power mainstream payments across multiple continents.
As Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire has frequently emphasized, USDC is not just another digital token — it is a bridge between crypto and the world’s financial infrastructure.
