Mastercard to Add RLUSD and Other Regulated Stablecoins to Global Settlement Options

Mastercard is widening its stablecoin settlement capabilities and will include Ripple's RLUSD among the regulated tokens supported across its global network. The payments firm said Wednesday it will roll out additional settlement choices, including intraday, weekend and holiday settlement windows, as well as on-chain card settlement using regulated stablecoins. The initiative is designed to give issuers, acquirers and merchants more control over when and how funds move, with use cases spanning cross-border payments, treasury management and payouts. Mastercard said the initial group of supported stablecoins will include Circle's USDC, Paxos-issued tokens such as PYUSD, USDG and USDP, SoFi's SoFiUSD, and Ripple's RLUSD. The tokens are expected to be available across multiple blockchains, including Arbitrum, Base, Canton, Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Tempo and the XRP Ledger. Mastercard positioned the update as an additional settlement option rather than a replacement for existing rails. The company said the network-level changes will maintain current security standards, fraud protections and dispute resolution processes, while enabling regulated digital-asset settlement alongside fiat rails. The goal is to improve liquidity management, including the ability to settle outside traditional banking hours. "The next phase of stablecoin adoption is about real-world utility, especially in settlement, where timing and liquidity matter most," said Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard's executive vice president for Blockchain and Digital Assets. He said intraday and weekend settlement options will help partners manage liquidity in an always-on economy while preserving Mastercard's safeguards. Mastercard said early participants are expected to include ARQ (formerly DolarApp), CBW Bank, Cross River, Lead Bank and Nuvei, with initial availability focused on the United States and Latin America. The company plans to expand the program through 2026 by adding regions, partners and additional regulated stablecoins, subject to regulatory approval. Ripple called RLUSD's inclusion a milestone for regulated stablecoins designed for institutional payment flows. "Mastercard's move into onchain settlement marks a landmark validation that blockchain technology is ready for the world's most critical payment infrastructure," said Jack McDonald, Ripple's senior vice president of stablecoins. He said RLUSD's presence on Mastercard's network reflects rising demand for trusted, regulated stablecoins on public blockchains such as the XRP Ledger. Industry executives also highlighted the payments and liquidity implications. Circle chief commercial officer Kash Razzaghi cited demand for rails that operate beyond banking hours, while Cross River's Luca Cosentino described stablecoins as "a powerful tool" for faster, more transparent settlement. At press time, XRP was trading at $1.24.