-
Visa is testing stablecoins for cross-border payments through Visa Direct.
-
Businesses can pre-fund accounts with USDC or EURC instead of fiat.
-
The goal is to cut settlement times from days to minutes.
-
Wider rollout is planned by April 2026 with select partners.
How the Pilot Works
Visa announced a new pilot program that allows businesses to use stablecoins to pre-fund Visa Direct, its push payments platform. Instead of locking up fiat days in advance, companies can deposit USDC or EURC and treat them as balances ready for payout.
Why Stablecoins?
Stablecoins allow near-instant transactions and reduce settlement risk. For businesses sending money abroad, the pilot could reduce settlement times from several days to just minutes. Liquidity is also improved since funds aren’t tied up waiting for traditional bank transfers.
Partners and Assets
The first stablecoins being tested are Circle’s USDC and EURC, though Visa said more could be added in the future. The pilot is initially limited and will expand to wider availability by April 2026.
Strategic Expansion
Visa has steadily grown its stablecoin strategy. Recent partnerships include enabling stablecoin-linked Visa cards with Stripe-owned Bridge, collaborating with Yellow Card in Africa, and launching the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform to help banks issue stablecoins.
Bigger Picture
The pilot comes shortly after the U.S. passed the GENIUS Act, establishing clear rules for stablecoins. With analysts projecting the sector as a trillion-dollar market, Visa is positioning itself at the center of the next wave of payments innovation. As Visa’s Chris Newkirk put it: “Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for too long. Stablecoins could change that.”
