TLDRs
- Visa expands stablecoin pilot to nine blockchains with new major network additions.
- Stablecoin settlement pilot reaches $7 billion annualized run rate globally.
- USDC payments now active in over 50 countries through Visa network.
- Visa pushes blockchain adoption in banking, treasury, and payout systems.
Visa is significantly widening its blockchain footprint, expanding its stablecoin settlement pilot from a handful of networks to nine blockchains.
The update, announced on April 29, introduces support for five additional networks: Coinbase’s Base, Polygon, Canton Network, Circle’s Arc, and Stripe-backed Tempo. These join existing integrations with Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and Stellar.
The move reflects Visa’s growing push to position stablecoins as a functional layer for global payments infrastructure, particularly in cross-border settlement use cases where speed and cost efficiency remain critical pain points.
$7 Billion Pilot Momentum
Visa also revealed that its stablecoin pilot has already reached an annualized settlement run rate of approximately $7 billion. This milestone highlights increasing usage among institutional participants testing blockchain-based settlement rails.
The pilot currently supports USDC-linked card settlement across more than 50 countries, signaling that stablecoin-based transactions are moving beyond experimental stages into real-world financial operations. For Visa, the data suggests early but meaningful traction among banks and fintech partners exploring programmable money systems.
Institutional Payments Take Shape
Beyond settlement efficiency, Visa is building a broader ecosystem around stablecoin adoption. The company has been developing advisory services through its Stablecoins Advisory Practice under Visa Consulting & Analytics in Europe. The initiative supports banks, merchants, and fintech firms in designing strategies and implementation frameworks for blockchain-based payment systems.
Visa is also testing Visa Direct programs that enable payouts directly into stablecoin wallets. Early focus has been placed on creators and gig economy workers, indicating a shift toward real-time income distribution models. At the same time, Visa Ventures has invested in BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure provider already integrated into pilot Visa Direct workflows.
Pressure on Traditional Banking Rails
The expansion underscores growing pressure on traditional cross-border banking infrastructure. Correspondent banking relationships, long used to facilitate international transfers, have declined by roughly 40% since 2011 due to inefficiencies and compliance costs.
Visa’s stablecoin model aims to address these gaps by enabling near-instant settlement using USDC on blockchain networks. Financial institutions such as Cross River Bank and Lead Bank have already begun participating in USDC settlement flows on Solana. According to Visa, these integrations allow for faster, programmable treasury operations without disrupting existing cardholder experiences.
The key advantage lies in continuous settlement availability. Unlike traditional banking systems, stablecoin rails can operate 24/7, including weekends and holidays, giving issuers more flexibility in liquidity management and capital deployment.
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