Visa Tests Stablecoins for International Payments
Global payments giant Visa has launched a pilot project to test the use of stablecoins for cross-border transactions. Stablecoins are digital currencies pegged to the value of traditional currencies, such as the US dollar or the euro. Thanks to this peg, they maintain a stable price and, unlike bitcoin or other volatile cryptocurrencies, are not subject to sharp fluctuations.
Visa aims to use stablecoins to offer businesses and banks a faster and cheaper way to send money abroad. While international transfers today often take several days, with stablecoins they could be completed in minutes.
How the pilot project works
Companies and remittance providers can pre-fund the Visa Direct payments platform with stablecoins instead of traditional currencies. Visa treats these digital tokens as “money in the account,” meaning they are instantly available for payouts. This allows firms to avoid locking up large sums for several days, improving liquidity.
“We are integrating stablecoins into Visa Direct, our push payments platform that enables real-time transfers to billions of recipients,” a company spokesperson told The Block. According to him, Visa is creating an environment where payments can be settled with stablecoins, paving the way for instant, global, and programmable payouts.
First stablecoins tested: USDC and EURC
The pilot is running with a limited number of partners, with broader availability planned for April 2026. While Visa has not disclosed specific names, it confirmed that the first assets being tested are Circle’s USDC and EURC. USDC is pegged to the US dollar, while EURC is pegged to the euro. The list may expand in the future depending on demand.
Asked whether Visa plans to issue its own stablecoin, the company said nothing can be ruled out in this ecosystem. For now, however, Visa is focusing on expanding the use of existing stablecoins through cards, bank integrations, and transaction settlements.
Faster payments and improved liquidity
The key advantage of this innovation is speed and access to liquidity. While settling cross-border payments currently takes days, stablecoins could reduce the process to just minutes. Recipients would still receive their money in their local currency, ensuring immediate usability.
“Cross-border payments have relied on outdated systems for far too long,” said Chris Newkirk, president of commercial and payment solutions at Visa. He described the integration of stablecoins into Visa Direct as a step toward enabling money to move instantly worldwide.
Stablecoins move into the mainstream
Stablecoins are gradually entering the mainstream, reinforced by the recently passed US GENIUS Act – the first federal law clearly defining rules for their use. Experts see a trillion-dollar market opportunity, particularly in protecting savings in countries with unstable currencies and enabling faster, cheaper international transfers.
Visa expands partnerships with fintech firms
Visa has also been expanding its partnerships with fintech companies. A collaboration with Stripe-owned Bridge enabled developers to issue payment cards linked to stablecoins, allowing users to spend their digital balances with merchants worldwide. Another deal was struck with Yellow Card, a major payments provider in Africa.
The company has also piloted settlement for issuers and merchants using stablecoins and launched the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform, which allows banks to issue and manage stablecoins in a trial mode.
Sources:
https://www.theblock.co/post/372842/visa-stablecoin-payments-businesses-visa-direct