Mastercard Targets Stablecoin Settlement and Tokenized Assets Through ADI Foundation Partnership

Mastercard  has announced strategic alliances with the ADI Foundation  – an Abu Dhabi based organization dedicated to empowering governments and institutions through blockchain infrastructure – marking a significant step towards advancing blockchain-based asset tokenization and stablecoin-enabled payment innovation in the Middle East.

This alliance supports the UAE’s ambition to be a global hub for digital assets and blockchain technology, while delivering benefits to financial institutions, fintech companies, merchants, and consumers through faster, more transparent, and resilient payment solutions.

Initial areas of collaboration include stablecoin-based settlement for domestic and cross-border transactions, stablecoin-linked payment cards and tokenized real-world assets use cases, and support for remittance and B2B trade flows using digital assets. These efforts are designed to advance interoperability, strengthen regulatory compliance, scale innovative decentralized blockchain infrastructure, and promote secure, transparent, and scalable use of blockchain technology across financial ecosystems.

“Mastercard is committed to unlocking new opportunities in digital assets through innovation and collaboration. Together with our partners, we will identify and validate high-impact use cases that deliver efficiency in digital payments. By advancing asset tokenization and stablecoin-linked applications, Mastercard is enabling faster, seamless, and more secure transactions. These initiatives underscore our commitment to building trusted bridges between traditional finance and blockchain ecosystems.”

– Prakriti Singh, Executive Vice President, Core Payments, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Mastercard

“The ADI Foundation’s collaboration with Mastercard marks a pivotal step toward building a more inclusive and future-ready digital economy – and represents one step closer to reaching our goal of bringing 1 billion people into the digital economy by 2030. By combining the ADI Foundation’s compliant, high-performance blockchain infrastructure with Mastercard’s global expertise, we intend to pioneer practical blockchain solutions that deliver meaningful societal impact across key industries and emerging markets.”

– Ajay Bhatia‏, Principal Council Member, ADI Foundation

This announcement follows Mastercard’s recent expansion of its partnership with Circle, enabling USDC and EURC stablecoin settlement for acquirers across the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region, a landmark development reinforcing Mastercard’s commitment to advancing blockchain-enabled commerce.

Building on this momentum, NEO PAY and INFINIOS are the latest partners to join this initiative, further expanding the reach of stablecoin settlement across the region.

INFINIOS, a Mastercard principal member and global fintech enablement partner, will be utilizing stablecoin for both funding and settlement, and actively aligning with financial institutions embracing the rails and broadening services to their underlying partners.

As stablecoins and tokenized assets continue to evolve, Mastercard’s strategy emphasizes utility, scalability, and regulatory alignment, reinforcing its position as a trusted innovator in the future of payments.

“Stablecoins are opening a new chapter in digital payments by combining the confidence of fiat currency with the advantages of blockchain. Our partnership/collaboration with Mastercard on stablecoins will give our merchants access to real-time settlement, broader digital liquidity and a way to connect everyday finance with emerging decentralized models. It also positions forward thinking enterprises to lead the next wave of financial innovation. At NEO PAY, we remain committed to being a trusted innovator that brings secure, practical, and future ready payment solutions to the market.”

– Vibhor Mundhada, CEO, NEO PAY

“INFINIOS envisions Stablecoins as a catalyst for the next generation of payments—delivering speed, transparency, and cost efficiency while upholding the highest standards of trust and compliance. Through our partnership with Mastercard, we are building a secure and scalable ecosystem that empowers businesses and consumers across the Middle East, driving financial inclusion and unlocking new and exciting opportunities for cross-border commerce.”

– Sherif Abdelsalam, CEO, INFINIOS