CMC News

#Visa Pilots $USDC Stablecoin Settlements for Global Business Payments

Visa has launched a pilot program allowing businesses to fund cross-border payments using #stablecoins instead of traditional currency deposits. The payment giant is testing this functionality through Visa Direct, its real-time payment platform that reaches billions of endpoints worldwide.

The initiative targets banks and remittance providers that currently lock up significant capital in multiple currencies to cover international payouts. These #businesses can now pre-fund their Visa Direct accounts with stablecoins, which the company treats as available balances for immediate disbursement.

Circle's $USDC and EURC are the first digital assets being tested in this pilot. Visa confirmed it may expand to additional stablecoins based on market demand. The company plans for limited availability by April 2026, though it declined to name specific partners participating in the early testing phase.

Settlement times could drop from days to minutes under this model, giving firms faster access to their working capital. Recipients will still receive payments in their local fiat currency regardless of how the sender funds the transaction.