Mastercard has launched a global partner program, recruiting over 85 digital asset companies, payment service providers, and financial institutions, including Circle, Binance, and Gemini Space Station, to scale digital assets and integrate them into existing payment systems. The program will provide crypto companies with services such as card plans, global merchant acceptance, and cross-border settlements. Currently, stablecoins are seen as a potential alternative to traditional payment networks. Both Mastercard and Visa have been developing stablecoin-related businesses since 2021, attempting to bridge the gap between digital assets and existing payment systems. (Bloomberg)