Visa has launched a pilot programme that allows banks and financial institutions to pre-fund cross-border payments using stablecoins, with the goal of speeding up international money transfers. Announced at SBOS 2025, the Visa Direct pilot lets selected partners use Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin (EURC) as pre-funded assets for near-instant payouts. Visa treats these stablecoins as cash equivalents, enabling businesses to make payments without holding large sums of fiat currency in advance.
The initiative is designed to modernise treasury operations by freeing up working capital and reducing dependence on pre-funded accounts across multiple currencies. It also offers a solution during off-hours and weekends when traditional banking systems are inactive. Stablecoins, pegged to assets such as the US dollar, are expected to bring faster, more predictable, and less volatile cross-border transactions.
Mark Nelsen, Head of Product for Visa’s Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, said, “The Genius Act changed everything. It made everything so much more legitimate. Before that regulatory clarity, all the big institutions were sort of on the fence.” The US law has provided clear rules for stablecoin issuers, encouraging greater participation from mainstream businesses.
Chris Newkirk, Visa’s President of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, added, “Visa Direct’s new stablecoins integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay.”
So far, Visa has processed more than $225 million (around ₹1,875 crore) in stablecoin transactions, a small fraction of its $16 trillion (₹1,33,600,000 crore) annual payment volume. The pilot is currently limited to select partners, with a wider rollout planned for 2026.
Industry experts suggest that broader adoption of stablecoins could reshape the competitive landscape for payment companies and regional banks. Mathew Turtle, CEO of Tuttle Capital Management, remarked, “Stablecoins are moving from crypto gimmick to financial plumbing.”
Earlier this year, Visa partnered with Stripe-owned Bridge to enable developers to issue Visa cards linked to stablecoin balances, allowing global merchant payments. The company also teamed up with Yellow Card in Africa to explore treasury and liquidity use cases. Additionally, Visa has tested stablecoin settlement for issuers and acquirers and developed its Tokenised Asset Platform to help banks pilot stablecoin issuance and management.
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