Visa announced that it’s expanding its global stablecoin settlement pilot to nine blockchains total by adding five new ones. The pilot now supports a $7 billion annualized settlement run rate, up 50% from the previous quarter.
Existing chains prior to the announcement are Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Stellar. Newly added chains are Arc from Circle, Base from Coinbase, Canton Network, Polygon, and Tempo backed by Stripe. This gives issuers and acquirers more flexibility to settle VisaNet obligations directly in stablecoins such as USDC instead of relying solely on traditional banking rails.
Visa positions the program as providing a unified settlement layer across a fragmented multi-chain ecosystem, allowing partners to choose networks suited to different needs—like low-cost or high-throughput payments, institutional compliance, or programmable and agentic commerce—while Visa handles the common interface.
Visa has been piloting stablecoin settlements since around 2021, with notable expansions in 2024–2025 including USDC settlement for issuers in regions like Latin America, Europe, and later U.S. banks. The program now also ties into over 130 stablecoin-linked card programs across more than 50 countries. The $7B run rate reflects real traction as stablecoins move beyond trading and speculation into mainstream payment and treasury flows.
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It focuses on B2B settlement; issuers and acquirers settling with the Visa network, not direct consumer payments yet. The addition of chains like Base and Polygon brings in Ethereum L2 scalability and low fees; Canton targets regulated and institutional use; Arc and Tempo align with major stablecoin and payments players. This is infrastructure-building: Visa is integrating blockchain rails as a complement to not full replacement for traditional systems.
This is another signal of traditional finance deepening ties with stablecoins and public and permissioned blockchains for efficiency, especially in cross-border or high-volume settlement. Growth has been rapid, but it’s still a pilot—scaling, compliance, and liquidity fragmentation across chains remain practical challenges. The announcement underscores that stablecoin adoption is accelerating in real-world financial infrastructure.
Stablecoin settlement refers to using stablecoins like USDC, which is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and fully reserved to settle payment obligations directly on blockchain networks, instead of traditional banking rails such as wires, ACH, or correspondent banking.
In Visa’s context, this primarily means issuers like banks or fintechs that issue Visa cards and acquirers settling their net obligations with the Visa network in stablecoins. The consumer experience with cards remains unchanged, but the backend moves faster and more efficiently.
Traditional settlement often takes 1–3 business dats or longer for cross-border, limited to banking hours and excluding weekends and holidays. Stablecoin settlement on blockchains can finalize in minutes or even seconds on fast networks and operates 24/7/365. This provides continuous liquidity, even outside business days, and enhances operational resilience.
Improved Liquidity and Cash Flow
Faster settlement reduces the time capital is locked up. Issuers and acquirers gain quicker access to funds, which improves treasury management, reduces the need for large pre-funded balances, and frees up working capital for other uses. Some participants may even see potential collateral reduction due to shorter settlement cycles.
Blockchain transactions typically incur very low network fees often cents or less, depending on the chain, compared to wire fees, correspondent bank charges, or FX markups in traditional systems. This is especially impactful for high-volume or cross-border flows, where intermediary costs can add up significantly. Visa’s multi-chain approach lets partners choose cost-efficient networks.
USD-backed stablecoins provide a stable value without exposure to local currency fluctuations in many markets. This creates a consistent settlement layer, simplifying forecasting and reducing FX risk for global operations. Every transaction is recorded immutably on the blockchain, enabling automated reconciliation, real-time visibility into treasury positions, and easier auditing and compliance. This reduces manual processes and errors common in legacy systems.
With support for multiple chains; now nine in Visa’s pilot, including scalable L2s like Base and Polygon, plus institutional options like Canton, participants can select networks based on needs—e.g., low fees, high throughput, or regulatory features. Programmability via smart contracts opens doors to automated treasury operations or more advanced payment logic in the future.
Stablecoins can reach users or markets with limited traditional banking infrastructure, supporting cross-border efficiency and inclusion for gig workers, creators, or emerging markets though Visa’s current settlement pilot is more B2B-focused. Visa’s expansion to nine blockchains and a $7 billion annualized settlement run rate, up 50% quarter-over-quarter as of April 2026 demonstrates growing traction. It allows partners to settle obligations more dynamically without disrupting the familiar Visa card network.
Similar benefits are noted in pilots for payouts to creators and gig workers and stablecoin-linked cards. Stablecoin settlement is still evolving often in pilot phases. Challenges include regulatory compliance, liquidity fragmentation across chains, custody and security requirements, and ensuring full reserve backing. It complements rather than fully replaces traditional systems for now, especially where consumer protections or credit features are needed.
Stablecoin settlement modernizes the backend of payments by delivering faster, cheaper, always-on, and more transparent money movement—particularly valuable for issuers, acquirers, and high-volume global flows—while leveraging blockchain infrastructure alongside established networks like Visa. This helps accelerate treasury operations and supports broader innovation in digital commerce.