Mastercard has announced a sweeping expansion of its global settlement capabilities, taking a major step toward near-continuous transactions in its payments network. The financial giant will now support settlement not only during business hours but also on weekends and holidays. Notably, regulated stablecoins will be integrated into the system alongside traditional fiat currencies.
A new era of more frequent settlement
With this update, Mastercard aims to provide issuing banks and payment processors with greater flexibility in managing liquidity. This means financial institutions will be able to fulfill their obligations more frequently, without having to wait for conventional banking hours. The move is widely seen as a key transition toward a truly continuous settlement infrastructure in global payments.
Among the digital assets that Mastercard now supports is USDC, the stablecoin issued by Circle. USDC is already being used for pilot on-chain settlements in select markets. The company will also extend settlement support to PayPal USD (PYUSD), USDG, USDP, and RLUSD—an asset native to the Ripple ecosystem.
Raj Dhamodharan, a Mastercard executive, emphasized that the next stage for stablecoins is real-world utility, especially in settlement processes where timing and liquidity are of critical importance.
A multi-network approach
Stablecoins such as those mentioned will be available across a variety of blockchain networks, including XRP Ledger, Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Base. With this strategy, Mastercard aims to reduce reliance on any single infrastructure and to boost interoperability between different financial systems.
Mini glossary: The XRP Ledger is an open-source blockchain closely aligned with the Ripple ecosystem. It stands out in payments contexts for its speed and low transaction costs, enabling rapid value transfer.
| Supported stablecoin | Associated institution or ecosystem |
|---|---|
| USDC | Circle |
| PYUSD | PayPal |
| USDG | As specified in the report |
| USDP | As specified in the report |
| RLUSD | Ripple ecosystem |
Rollout begins in the US and Latin America
The first phase will see institutions like ARQ, CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank, and Nuvei joining the system. These entities are expected to act as bridges between traditional banking and blockchain-based payment channels. Initial implementations will focus on the US and Latin America, with full-scale global rollout anticipated throughout 2026.
Mastercard’s latest move builds on its prior pilot programs, representing a more robust and regulation-compliant expansion. The report highlights that the company’s BitLicense approval in New York further cements this growth. Mastercard is also increasing its presence in the crypto ecosystem, notably deepening its integration with Ripple’s partner network.
The company’s overall approach is to bolster liquidity management for an always-on digital economy, all while maintaining trust and security standards expected of a global payments network.
This development signals that stablecoins are shaking off their reputation as experimental assets and becoming practical tools for mainstream financial settlement. The report notes that RLUSD, in particular, has gained greater prominence in this expanding field, including recent visibility in the Turkish market.
