Mastercard teams up with Middle East Foundation to develop stablecoins and tokenized assets, ushering in a new era for the payment ecosystem

【Blockchain Rhythm】Payment giant Mastercard is making frequent moves. Recently, it announced a strategic partnership with the ADI Foundation in Abu Dhabi, primarily to promote the use of stablecoin settlement and tokenized assets in the Middle East.

Specifically, they plan to use stablecoins to facilitate cross-border transactions domestically and internationally, and also to launch payment cards linked to stablecoins. More interestingly, they are exploring how to tokenize real-world assets—for example, using digital assets to handle remittances and B2B trade.

Mastercard emphasized that this cooperation aligns with the UAE’s strategic goal of building a digital asset and blockchain infrastructure center. For banks, fintech companies, merchants, and consumers, this means faster settlement speeds, higher transaction visibility, and more stable payment processes. This collision between traditional finance and Web3 is transforming the payment landscape in the Middle East.