BC Card has signed an MOU with global digital asset company Coinbase to introduce domestic payments using U.S. dollar-based stablecoin USDC.

The two companies will jointly pursue a pilot that links BC Card’s QR payment solution to a Base-chain wallet so customers holding USDC can pay at domestic merchants.

The pilot will focus on verifying the convenience of USDC payments and interoperability between the Base chain and BC Card’s payment infrastructure. It will also aim to develop a won settlement process that fits South Korea’s legal and institutional environment. The companies also plan to review mid- to long-term cooperation, including upgrading domestic USDC payment and settlement models based on pilot results, finding partnership services using their networks, and revitalising the Base ecosystem in South Korea.

BC Card CEO Won-seok Choi said the partnership would serve as an important foothold in connecting domestic payment infrastructure with the global stablecoin ecosystem. He said BC Card will gradually build a USDC payment ecosystem optimised for the domestic environment by combining synergy between the two infrastructures with intellectual property BC Card has proactively secured, including core technology patents related to digital asset and stablecoin payment infrastructure.

Hyuk-jae Park, head of East Asia for Coinbase’s Base unit, said stablecoin adoption is spreading rapidly across global financial infrastructure after the passage of the U.S. GENIUS Act in 2025. He said linking the Base chain, which supports stablecoins pegged to 15 fiat currencies, with BC Card’s payment infrastructure would improve the convenience of global payments in South Korea.

BC Card said it is focusing on building a general-purpose payment infrastructure needed to revitalise South Korea’s stablecoin market. It said it has set up a dedicated TF organisation for digital assets in line with domestic legalisation trends, and is strengthening partnerships with major financial firms, fintech companies and virtual asset service providers.