Catenaa, Monday, November 17, 2025- Visa has launched a pilot program allowing businesses to pay creators, freelancers, and gig workers directly in stablecoins, starting with Circle’s USDC, enabling near-instant cross-border payments.
The initiative lets US businesses using Visa Direct fund payouts in fiat while recipients choose to receive funds in USDC. Participants must hold a compatible stablecoin wallet and complete know-your-customer and anti-money-laundering checks.
The pilot follows a September program that allowed businesses to pre-fund payouts with stablecoins, extending the process to end recipients.
Visa described the move as a step toward universal access to money, particularly for regions with volatile currencies or limited banking infrastructure.
The program launches with select partners, with plans for wider rollout in the second half of 2026 as demand grows and regulatory frameworks evolve.
The pilot aligns with Visa’s broader stablecoin strategy, accelerated by the US GENIUS Act, which established clear federal rules for stablecoins.
Visa CEO Ryan McInerney noted that since 2020, the company has facilitated over $140 billion in crypto and stablecoin flows, including more than $100 billion in purchases and $35 billion in crypto spending using Visa credentials.
Visa now operates over 130 stablecoin-linked card programs in more than 40 countries, and Q4 stablecoin card spending has quadrupled year over year.
Earlier initiatives include the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform and partnerships with Stripe-owned Bridge and Yellow Card to explore treasury, liquidity, and settlement use cases.
Visa emphasized that it is focused on scaling stablecoin use cases through cards, settlements, and bank integrations, while leaving open the possibility of issuing its own stablecoin in the future.
