Mastercard and Circle are deepening their longstanding partnership to enable USDC and EURC settlement for acquirers in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region. This expanded effort marks the first time that the acquiring ecosystem in EEMEA will be able to settle transactions in stablecoins, further cementing Mastercard’s role in connecting blockchain-native crypto assets with traditional fiat commerce infrastructure. This move will empower acquiring institutions to get their settlement in USDC or EURC – fully-reserved stablecoins issued by regulated affiliates of Circle – which they can then use to settle with merchants and help pave the way for a new era of efficient and trusted digital trade across emerging markets. This builds upon existing efforts between Circle and Mastercard in the region on crypto card solutions, such as Bybit and S1LKPAY, which use USDC to settle transactions. Our strategic goal is to integrate stablecoins into the financial mainstream by investing in the infrastructure, governance, and partnerships to support this exciting payment evolution from fiat to tokenized and programmable money. Through our expanded partnership with Circle, we are taking bold steps in integrating their innovative use across our global network,” said Dimitrios Dosis, president, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Mastercard. “Our expanded partnership with Mastercard will enable wider reach, global access, and scaled impact, so that USDC can become as ubiquitous as traditional payments. Together with Mastercard, we are advancing the role of stablecoins as a foundational tool for everyday financial activity worldwide,” said Kash Razzaghi, Chief Business Officer at Circle.