Airtm has partnered with Mastercard-owned stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK to introduce wallet-based payments for users in emerging markets through a new integration built on the Stellar blockchain.
Summary
- Airtm has partnered with Mastercard’s BVNK to allow users in emerging markets to pay participating retailers directly from their digital wallets.
- The integration will operate through the newly launched Airtm Connect platform, which connects digital asset companies with Airtm’s existing user network.
- Stellar will serve as the blockchain payment network for the integration, with the companies planning to begin rolling out the service in Q4 2026.
- The partnership will give Airtm access to Mastercard’s Global Money Platform, which supports traditional currency accounts, stablecoin payments and international money transfers.
- BVNK will become another infrastructure provider for Airtm, giving the company more options for handling customer deposits, incoming transfers and payments across different markets.
According to an announcement made at the Stellar Meridian Conference on Oct. 29, the partnership will allow Airtm customers to pay participating retailers directly from their digital wallets using BVNK’s payment infrastructure.
The service will operate through Airtm Connect, a newly launched product that allows digital asset companies to connect their services with Airtm’s existing user network.
Both companies expect to begin rolling out the integration in the fourth quarter of 2026, with new options for customers to fund their wallets, receive payments and spend their balances at supported merchants.
Airtm Connect will support direct wallet payments
Under the agreement, Airtm users will be able to make purchases at retailers supported by BVNK without having to move their funds to a separate payment service first.
Airtm Connect will provide the connection between the company’s digital wallet network and external financial service providers, including BVNK.
The integration will use Stellar as its underlying blockchain payment network, allowing transactions to be processed through infrastructure designed for low-cost transfers.
Airtm operates in emerging markets where customers often use digital dollars and alternative financial services to receive international payments, hold funds and access global commerce.
The company said its partnership with BVNK would help address difficulties customers face when moving money between digital wallets and conventional payment systems.
Rubén Galindo Steckel, CEO of Airtm, said the company has spent the past decade developing financial infrastructure that connects users in underserved markets with the global dollar economy.
“We believe payments should move natively on-chain – it’s simply a better way to move money,” Steckel said.
He explained that reliable funding services need to work alongside payment options that allow customers to spend their money.
According to Steckel, BVNK’s existing banking connections and stablecoin funding infrastructure will complement Airtm’s network of users and local payment services.
The partnership will provide Airtm with another infrastructure provider as it continues operating across jurisdictions with different banking systems, stablecoin regulations and access to liquidity.
Mastercard Global Money Platform joins the integration
Airtm will gain access to Mastercard’s recently launched Global Money Platform through its partnership with BVNK.
The platform allows financial technology companies and businesses to manage traditional currencies, stablecoins, international transfers and payment accounts through a single application programming interface.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Mastercard introduced the service in October following its acquisition of BVNK earlier this year.
Nuvei, Marqeta, Ontop, Beem and Almond FinTech were among the first companies preparing to integrate the platform.
Its services include multicurrency accounts, currency conversion, payment cards and local bank transfers, allowing participating companies to select the functions they need.
Mastercard expects local bank payouts through Mastercard Move to support more than 40 currencies across over 200 countries and territories in 2027.
For Airtm, access to the platform will provide additional payment and banking infrastructure while allowing the company to maintain its existing relationships with customers.
Mastercard completed its BVNK acquisition in August under a deal valued at up to $1.8 billion.
The acquisition brought BVNK’s technology for stablecoin settlements, international payouts and treasury operations into Mastercard’s payments business.
Kimberly Mescal Julien, global head of partnerships at BVNK, said the Airtm agreement demonstrates how financial technology companies can connect digital wallets with everyday commerce.
She described Airtm Connect as a way for wallet providers to offer customers more opportunities to spend their funds through existing payment infrastructure.
Stellar will handle blockchain transactions
The Airtm integration will use Stellar, which BVNK added to its stablecoin payments platform in September.
BVNK’s Stellar network integration made the blockchain available to business customers through its existing API, supporting payments, remittances and treasury transfers across more than 130 markets.
Customers can access Stellar without developing separate blockchain connections or replacing their current payment systems.
The network supports transfers between blockchain accounts and provides infrastructure for businesses handling digital asset payments across different markets.
BVNK’s existing Stellar connection will serve as the blockchain component of its arrangement with Airtm, while the companies’ respective services will handle wallet access and payment connectivity.
The announcement did not identify the stablecoins that Airtm customers will initially be able to spend through the integration.
Airtm plans to expand its payment infrastructure
Beyond merchant payments, the partnership will give Airtm additional options for handling customer deposits and incoming transfers across its supported markets.
The company currently works with multiple financial infrastructure providers to serve users across different countries and payment systems.
According to Airtm, BVNK will become another provider within that network, allowing the company to offer different funding routes depending on customer needs and local availability.
Steckel said Airtm does not intend to depend on a single payment provider or blockchain network as it develops its international services.
“Our infrastructure strategy has always been about choice for Airtm and for our users,” he said.
The companies have scheduled the initial rollout for Q4 2026, although they have not announced which countries or participating retailers will receive access first.
