Visa Launches Direct Stablecoin Payments

Visa has introduced a pilot project, Visa Direct, enabling American clients to make direct cross-border payments in the stablecoin USDC to recipients’ wallets. The initiative targets content creators, freelancers, and gig workers.
Even fiat currency payments can be credited in the form of “stablecoins.” Visa aims to provide “faster and borderless access to earnings,” particularly in markets with limited banking infrastructure and high volatility in national currencies.
According to a study by the company, 57% of respondents cited speed as the primary reason for choosing digital payment methods for content creation.
To receive stablecoin payments, recipients must have a compatible wallet and meet KYC/AML requirements.
The pilot project is being launched in collaboration with selected partners. A broader rollout is planned for the second half of 2026 as client demand grows and regulatory frameworks improve.

Consistent Innovation

This innovation follows a September initiative that allowed companies to pre-fund payouts using stablecoins.
Over the past year, Visa’s related projects have intensified, partly due to the adoption of the GENIUS Act in the US, which established rules for the dollar-backed cryptocurrency sector.
The annual volume of stablecoin transactions through Visa’s services has exceeded $2.5 billion. Since 2020, the company has processed cryptocurrency and “stablecoin” flows exceeding $140 billion. Of this, $100 billion was for digital asset purchases using Visa cards, and $35 billion was for goods and services payments.
In the fourth quarter, spending on cards linked to stablecoins quadrupled compared to the same period last year. The company supports over 130 “stablecoin” programs in 40 countries.
Responding to a recent question from The Block about plans to issue its own stablecoin, a Visa representative stated:

“In [this] ecosystem, it’s hard to rule anything out.”

However, he emphasized that in the short term, the focus will remain on scaling the use cases of existing coins through integrations with cards, payment tools, and banks.