Mastercard rolls out MENA SME resilience program and moves to acquire BVNK stablecoin platform

Mastercard announced the launch of the “Built Small. Moving Strong” program to bolster small and medium‑sized enterprises across the Middle East and North Africa. The initiative targets a sector that accounts for over 90% of businesses and 50‑60% of regional GDP, offering liquidity, digital tools and partnership‑driven credit solutions through collaborators such as First Abu Dhabi Bank, RAKBANK and the Female Fusion network.

In parallel, Mastercard disclosed its plan to acquire BVNK, a stablecoin‑infrastructure provider, in a deal that could reach $1.8 billion by the end of 2026. The acquisition is intended to integrate on‑chain payment capabilities into Mastercard’s network, enabling faster cross‑border settlement and expanding its digital‑payments portfolio while maintaining the core credit‑card business.

Both moves reflect Mastercard’s strategy to diversify services—supporting traditional SMEs in a volatile MENA environment and positioning the company within the emerging stablecoin ecosystem.