Mastercard has signed a strategic partnership with Yellow Card, an Africa-focused licenced stablecoin infrastructure provider, to develop stablecoin-enabled payments across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA).
The initiative includes plans for global expansion.
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Under the agreement, Mastercard and Yellow Card will explore real-world applications for stablecoin payments and related security tools, including Mastercard Crypto Credential.
In a statement, Mastercard said the collaboration will assess stablecoin use cases across four areas: cross-border remittances, B2B settlement, digital loyalty ecosystems and treasury management.
The companies will work with banks, financial institutions and regulatory bodies to pilot secure and compliant stablecoin solutions. The pilots are intended to improve payment efficiency and reduce costs for businesses and consumers.
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice said: “Emerging markets represent the greatest opportunity for payment innovation, but success requires deep local expertise and regulatory navigation.
“We bring years of experience building compliant stablecoin infrastructure where traditional banking falls short. Mastercard’s global network amplifies these capabilities, allowing us to serve businesses and consumers who need better, more affordable ways to move money across borders.”
As part of the partnership, the companies will form joint working groups to identify use cases and develop interoperable solutions for banks and financial institutions on the Mastercard network. The aim is to connect traditional payment rails with blockchain-based payments.
Initial markets cited for the work include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Mastercard’s executive vice-president for Market Development, EEMEA, Mete Güney, said: “Stablecoins are an exciting and useful option for some payments, and we look forward to working on additional use cases with Yellow Card, while continuing to leverage Mastercard’s expertise to make stablecoins seamless and secure.”
Mastercard said the partnership builds on its broader blockchain ecosystem. In March, the company selected Borderless.xyz as a launch partner in its Crypto Partner Program.
