Visa Pilots Stablecoin Payments to Modernize Global Payouts

Highlights:

• Visa pilots stablecoin payments to unlock liquidity and modernize global payouts.
• Banks and remittance firms can pre-fund transfers using USDC and EURC.
• Expansion to more financial institutions is planned for 2026.

Credit Card Giant Visa has made a bold step towards the digital economy at SIBOS 2025. The company has launched a pilot program that enables financial institutions to utilize a stablecoin for cross-border payments. The project, known as the Visa Direct stablecoin pilot, aims to speed up global fund transfers and modernize treasury operations.

Businesses had relied on antiquated settlement systems for decades, which slowed the transfer and tied up capital. Accomplished with this pilot, Visa introduces stablecoins as an alternative to parked fiat balances. The company will rely on Circle’s USDC and EURC and consider them cash equivalents to begin global payouts.

JUST IN: Visa explores stablecoin integration in Visa Direct for instant global payments. pic.twitter.com/oZohioPNjo

— Crypto India (@CryptooIndia) September 30, 2025

Unlocking Liquidity and Strengthening Treasury Operations

The pilot of Visa provides businesses with the opportunity to access liquidity and transfer money within minutes. Rather than storing fiat in various corridors, institutions are able to pre-fund with stablecoins. This eliminates the necessity to freeze a vast sum of cash, and capital can be utilized in operational activities.

Prefunding of stablecoins enhances the management of the treasury as well. Payouts become predictable, eliminating exposure to local currency fluctuations. In addition, stablecoins allow 24-hour settlement, even when the banking channels are closed on weekends or holidays.

Chris Newkirk, the president of Visa’s commercial and money-movement solutions, highlighted the move. He said:

“The cross-border payments have been stagnating in the old systems way too long. The new stablecoin integration in Visa Direct prepares the foundation for moving money instantaneously around the globe. Furthermore, it provides businesses with an added option in payment methods.”

Expansion Plans and Strategic Industry Impact

In 2026, Visa is going to roll out the pilot to additional banks and remittance providers. The firm has already settled more than $225 million in transactions of stablecoins, but this is a small fraction of the $16 trillion in payments it makes annually.

The program particularly aims at banks, remittance companies, and institutions that need faster and more dynamic liquidity services across the globe. By considering stablecoins as credible prefunding tools, Visa does not require institutions to redistribute idle balances around the world.

The pilot launch follows shortly after the United States enacted the GENIUS Act. The new legislation established regulations on the issuers of stablecoins. In addition, it encourages major institutions to experiment with digital tokens to make real-world payments. Regulatory transparency has increased the speed of adoption within the financial ecosystems.

Broader Stablecoin Push

This pilot expands on Visa’s growing stablecoin integration. In May this year, Visa invested in BVNK, a stablecoin payment infrastructure firm. The move underscored its commitment to grow digital payment technology.

VISA INVESTS IN BVNK FINANCE, FUELLING STABLECOIN INFRASTRUCTURE! pic.twitter.com/Kodbxw9Z9x

— CryptoSavingExpert ® (@CryptoSavingExp) May 7, 2025

Moreover, Visa collaborated with Stripe-owned Bridge to market the services of stablecoin cards in six Latin American nations. With the new system, developers can issue Visa cards directly tied to stablecoin balances on a single API. This program focused on areas with limited traditional banking infrastructure, highlighting the Visa efforts to increase access to finance.

The timing of the company coincides with major moves of other world players. Swift announced its own blockchain-based settlement platform just one day prior to Visa announcing this pilot. Swift is creating a 24/7 cross-border settlements system in collaboration with Consensys and 30 or more financial institutions.