Visa has dived head first into stablecoins and isn’t looking back, embedding them across both its business and consumer operations.
Visa has launched a new pilot allowing businesses to send payouts directly to recipients’ stablecoin wallets.
Announced at Web Summit in Lisbon on November 12, the pilot enables businesses using Visa Direct to fund payouts in fiat currency while recipients can choose to receive their funds in USD-backed stablecoins such as USDC.
Visa said the approach could “transform” how global platforms, freelancers and creators access and store money, particularly in markets affected by currency volatility or limited banking infrastructure.
“Launching stablecoin payouts is about enabling truly universal access to money in minutes – not days – for anyone, anywhere in the world,” said Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Visa.
“Whether it’s a creator building a digital brand, a business reaching new global markets or a freelancer working across borders, everyone benefits from faster, more flexible money movement.”
Visa has a track record of exploring how emerging technologies can support the creator economy. In 2022, the company launched a programme to help digital-first creators understand how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) could be used to build visibility and monetise their work.
This latest pilot builds on this and follows research showing a clear demand for faster access to funds. According to Visa’s 2025 Creator Economy Report, 57% of digital creators said instant access is the main reason they choose digital payment methods.
Visa said stablecoin payouts directly address this need by combining the speed of blockchain with the reach of its global payments network. Users in the US can receive payouts without the restrictions of traditional banking hours, with every transaction recorded on blockchain for transparency and traceability.
The company said it plans to onboard partners in the coming months, with a wider European rollout targeted for 2026 as regulatory frameworks mature.
From settlement to consumer payouts
Visa seems to be making a habit of unveiling stablecoin innovations at tradeshow conferences.
At Sibos in September 2025, the company introduced a pilot allowing businesses to pre-fund Visa Direct accounts using stablecoins instead of fiat. The trial, which also used Circle Internet Financial’s USDC, focused on treasury operations, giving institutions a way to keep funds liquid while ensuring payouts remained covered.
“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long,” said Newkirk at the time, describing the initiative as a way to bring “modern money movement” into traditional finance.
The latest pilot takes a step further, pushing stablecoins from behind the scenes to the consumer.
The direction looks well timed as earlier this week, Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran described stablecoins as an established and fast-growing part of the financial landscape, adding the US’ new regulatory framework will cement them as a core rail for moving digital dollars.
With a global giant like Visa now embedding stablecoins across both its business and consumer arms, Miran’s prediction is already becoming reality.
