Mastercard has entered into strategic alliances with the ADI Foundation, an Abu Dhabi–based organization focused on enabling governments and institutions through blockchain infrastructure. The collaboration represents a meaningful step toward accelerating blockchain-based asset tokenization and stablecoin-enabled payment innovation across the Middle East. The initiative aligns closely with the United Arab Emirates’ ambition to position itself as a global center for digital assets and blockchain technology.
Through this alliance, Mastercard and the ADI Foundation aim to deliver tangible benefits to financial institutions, fintech firms, merchants, and consumers. The focus is on enabling faster, more transparent, and resilient payment solutions that can operate at scale. By combining global payment expertise with compliant blockchain infrastructure, the partners are working to bridge traditional financial systems with emerging decentralized technologies.
Focus Areas for Stablecoins and Tokenized Assets
The initial phase of collaboration centers on several priority areas. These include stablecoin-based settlement for both domestic and cross-border transactions, the development of stablecoin-linked payment cards, and use cases involving tokenized real-world assets. The partners are also exploring blockchain-enabled solutions for remittances and business-to-business trade flows using digital assets.
These efforts are intended to improve interoperability across financial networks, strengthen regulatory compliance, and support the expansion of decentralized blockchain infrastructure. The overarching goal is to promote secure, transparent, and scalable adoption of blockchain technology across financial ecosystems, while ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations in the region.
Mastercard’s regional leadership has indicated that innovation and collaboration are central to unlocking new opportunities in digital assets. By working with strategic partners, the company is seeking to identify and validate high-impact use cases that increase efficiency in digital payments. Advancing asset tokenization and stablecoin-linked applications is viewed as a practical way to enable faster, more seamless, and more secure transactions, while building trusted connections between traditional finance and blockchain-based systems.
Supporting a More Inclusive Digital Economy
From the perspective of the ADI Foundation, the collaboration with Mastercard is seen as a step toward building a more inclusive and future-ready digital economy. The partnership supports the foundation’s long-term objective of expanding digital access globally by leveraging compliant, high-performance blockchain infrastructure. By pairing this capability with Mastercard’s global reach and operational expertise, the initiative is expected to deliver practical blockchain solutions with meaningful social and economic impact, particularly across key industries and emerging markets.
ADI signed a strategic partnership with @Mastercard 🤝
A global payments network in 210+ countries is partnering with @ADI_Foundation to deploy blockchain-based payment rails across the Middle East.
Real-world adoption at institutional scale. The next era starts now. https://t.co/YYInVJdMZc
— ADI Chain (@ADIChain_) December 16, 2025
The announcement follows Mastercard’s recent expansion of its partnership with Circle, which enabled USDC and EURC stablecoin settlement for acquiring institutions across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. That development reinforced Mastercard’s broader commitment to advancing blockchain-enabled commerce and set the stage for further regional expansion.
New Partners Expand Regional Reach
Building on this momentum, NEO PAY and INFINIOS have joined the initiative, extending the availability of stablecoin settlement across the region. INFINIOS, a Mastercard principal member and global fintech enablement partner, is planning to use stablecoins for both funding and settlement. The company is also aligning closely with financial institutions that are adopting blockchain-based payment rails, with the aim of expanding services to downstream partners.
Executives at NEO PAY have emphasized that stablecoins combine the reliability of fiat currency with the efficiency of blockchain technology. Through collaboration with Mastercard, NEO PAY expects merchants to gain access to real-time settlement, broader digital liquidity, and improved connectivity between traditional financial operations and decentralized models. This approach is positioned as a way for forward-looking enterprises to lead the next phase of financial innovation with secure and practical payment solutions.
INFINIOS leadership has similarly highlighted the role of stablecoins as a catalyst for the next generation of payments. By focusing on speed, transparency, and cost efficiency while maintaining high standards of trust and compliance, the partnership with Mastercard is intended to support a secure and scalable payments ecosystem. This strategy aims to empower businesses and consumers across the Middle East, promote financial inclusion, and unlock new opportunities for cross-border commerce.
As stablecoins and tokenized assets continue to mature, Mastercard’s approach emphasizes real-world utility, scalability, and regulatory alignment. This strategy reinforces the company’s position as a trusted innovator shaping the future of digital payments and blockchain-enabled financial infrastructure.
