Mastercard & ADI Foundation Launch UAE Stablecoin Payments—Banking’s Future Just Got Real

Traditional finance meets crypto as Mastercard and ADI Foundation roll out stablecoin payments in the UAE. No more waiting for banks to 'get it'—the future of money is here.

Why this matters: Stablecoins bridge the gap between volatile crypto and sluggish fiat systems. The UAE's progressive stance makes it the perfect sandbox.

The partnership signals a tipping point: even legacy players can't ignore blockchain's efficiency gains. (Though let's see how long it takes regulators to 'protect' us from innovation.)

Bottom line: Your grandchildren will laugh that we ever settled payments through slow, expensive intermediaries. The revolution won't be televised—it'll be tokenized.

First areas of collaboration will be for stablecoin payments

The first areas of collaboration between the two entities will be in the realm of stablecoin payments, both for domestic usage and cross-border transactions. It will include stablecoin-linked payment cards and tokenized real-world assets use cases, and support for remittance and B2B trade flows.

Prakriti Singh, executive vice president, Core payments, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Mastercard, noted that the company is unlocking new opportunities through these collaborations. They will validate high-impact use cases that deliver efficiency in digital payments.

He explains, “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.”

Ajay Bhatia‏, Principal Council Member at the ADI Foundation, reiterates that the collaboration is a pivotal step toward building a future-ready digital economy.

The collaboration will combine ADI Foundation’s compliant, high-performance blockchain infrastructure with Mastercard’s global expertise.

He adds, “We intend to pioneer practical blockchain solutions that deliver meaningful societal impact across key industries and emerging markets.”

This announcement follows Mastercard’s recent expansion of its partnership with Circle, enabling USDC and EURC stablecoin settlement for acquirers across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

NEO PAY and INFINIOS join the initiative to expand stablecoin settlement

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.

“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,” said Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEO PAY.

INFINIOS also envisions stablecoins as a catalyst for next generation payments that businesses and consumers in the Middle East can enjoy.

“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

Stablecoin payments are experiencing explosive growth in 2025, moving from the crypto niche to mainstream financial infrastructure, with volumes hitting $9 trillion as reported by A16z.

This week, Visa announced the launch of its stablecoins advisory practice, a service that aims to aid fintech companies, banks, and other businesses with their strategy and implementation of stablecoins.

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