Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, has struck a strategic agreement with Bahrain-based fintech INFINIOS to build out digital finance infrastructure across the Middle East. The deal pairs one of crypto’s most prominent stablecoin issuers with a regional payments specialist that already holds principal membership with Mastercard.
What each side brings to the table
INFINIOS operates as a Banking-as-a-Service provider, offering digital banking and payment solutions through APIs.
The company has been quietly building credibility in the region for years. Back in 2021, INFINIOS partnered with the Commercial Bank of Dubai for BaaS expansion in the UAE. In 2023, it launched Mastercard’s first wholesale travel program in the entire MENA region.
Circle, meanwhile, has been on its own Middle Eastern expansion campaign. The company incorporated an entity within the Abu Dhabi Global Market in late 2024, establishing a formal regulatory foothold. Dr. Saeeda Jaffar was appointed as Managing Director for Circle’s MEA operations around the same period.
