Circle has unveiled two partnerships to embed stablecoins settlement into mainstream finance. New deals with Mastercard and Finastra aim to expand USD Coin's role to merchants and banks worldwide.

Mastercard said on Wednesday that it will enable acquirers and merchants in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) to settle transactions in USDC (USDC) and Euro Coin (EURC). Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services will be the first to adopt the service, marking the first stablecoin settlement available through Mastercard in the region.

Finastra, a London-based financial software provider, also announced on Wednesday the integration of USDC into its Global PAYplus platform, which is said to processes more than $5 trillion in cross-border transactions daily.

According to the company, the integration will allow banks in 50 countries to settle international payments in USDC, even when payment instructions remain denominated in fiat.

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Circle targets global adoption

Circle’s USDC has been expanding its partnerships since the passage of the GENIUS Act in the US Congress. The legislation, signed into law in July, created the first federal framework for stablecoins in the country. 

On July 31, Circle announced a partnership with OKX, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges with a strong presence across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The deal introduced zero-fee USDC conversions to US dollars, expanding the stablecoin’s global liquidity reach and making it more attractive to traders in key international markets.

In August, Circle turned its focus to Asia, where its executives met with the CEOs of South Korea’s four largest banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — to explore onchain integrations and the potential issuance of a won-backed stablecoin. 

The company also joined SBI Group, Ripple and Startale in a joint venture to promote USDC adoption in Japan and develop a tokenized asset trading platform for real-world assets.

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