Mastercard and Yellow Card Partner on Stablecoin Payments Across EEMEA

Mastercard and Yellow Card, a licensed stablecoin infrastructure provider operating across Africa and select emerging markets, announced a strategic partnership on May 6, 2026, to develop stablecoin-enabled payment solutions in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), with long-term plans for global expansion.

The collaboration will focus on four key payment verticals: cross-border remittances, business-to-business settlement, digital loyalty ecosystems, and treasury management. Joint working groups will identify high-impact use cases and build interoperable solutions that bridge traditional finance with blockchain-based payments for banks and financial institutions in Mastercard's network. Initial pilot markets include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

“Emerging markets represent the greatest opportunity for payment innovation, but success requires deep local expertise and regulatory navigation,” said Chris Maurice, CEO of Yellow Card. “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.”

Mete Güney, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA at Mastercard, added: “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. Together we look forward to taking digital finance into a new sphere, unlocking new efficiencies in cross-border trade, business-to-business settlements, and digital asset security.”

The partnership combines Mastercard’s expanding blockchain ecosystem with Yellow Card’s track record as one of Africa’s leading licensed stablecoin operators. Both companies aim to drive utility-focused digital asset innovation as regulatory clarity and institutional adoption of stablecoins increase in emerging markets.