Mastercard's USD 1.8 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK marks a turning point for crypto's role in global payments. The question is no longer whether legacy finance will engage with stablecoins, but how quickly that infrastructure becomes central to how money actually moves.

Stablecoins have moved from the fringes of crypto into the heart of global power, financial infrastructure, and market liquidity. Here’s what’s been happening.