Airtm and BVNK Partner on Wallet-Native Stablecoin Payments
The Mastercard-owned BVNK will provide infrastructure for Airtm users to pay participating retailers from digital wallets, with rollout scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter.
SAN FRANCISCO — Airtm and BVNK, the Mastercard-owned stablecoin infrastructure company, announced a partnership on Oct. 29, 2026 to enable wallet-native stablecoin payments for users in emerging markets. The integration uses the Stellar blockchain and is scheduled to begin rolling out in the fourth quarter.
Airtm users will be able to pay participating retailers directly from their digital wallets through BVNK infrastructure. Airtm Connect is intended to link wallets to payment services, while access to Mastercard’s Global Money Platform provides the underlying connection to payment and payout capabilities.
The announcement describes a planned rollout, not a claim that the service is already available to every Airtm user or retailer. Coverage will depend on participating merchants, local compliance, liquidity, wallet support and the specific markets enabled at launch.
Stablecoin payments can reduce some settlement friction, but the customer experience still depends on conversion rates, consumer protections, refunds, fraud controls and support. The partnership connects digital wallets to merchant payments; it does not make the underlying operational and regulatory work disappear.