USDC advances toward mainstream acceptance as both card networks adopt stablecoin settlement

Through 2025 Circle's USDC moved into card-network settlement: Mastercard enabled USDC/EURC settlement for acquirers (initially EEMEA) in August 2025, and Visa enabled USDC settlement for US issuers/acquirers on VisaNet in December 2025 (Solana-based, ~$3.5bn annualised run rate). Visa also expanded support to multiple stablecoins (USDC, PYUSD, USDG, EURC) across several chains, settling over $225m by mid-2025.

Stablecoin acceptance is shifting from crypto-native niches into the settlement layer of the dominant card networks; for European merchants and acquirers this points toward faster cross-border settlement and, under MiCA, a path for euro-denominated stablecoins (EURC) in mainstream acceptance.

European availability of network stablecoin settlement, MiCA-compliant EURC adoption, merchant-facing acceptance versus back-end settlement, and regulatory clarity in the UK and EU.

• usa.visa.com
• Mastercard