Partnership signals a further shift towards integrating blockchain-based settlement into mainstream card infrastructure, as issuers test stablecoins as a back-end liquidity and reconciliation tool rather than a consumer-facing novelty.
Visa is expanding its partnership with stablecoin infrastructure provider Bridge, as the card network deepens its push into on-chain settlement and stablecoin-linked consumer payments.
The two companies announced on 3 March that they are broadening the global card issuance product first unveiled in 2025, enabling businesses and fintech developers to issue stablecoin-backed Visa cards. The expansion includes new on-chain settlement capabilities through a partnership with Lead Bank, a participant in Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot.
Under the arrangement, developers using Bridge can offer Visa cards funded by stablecoin balances, allowing consumers to spend at Visa’s network of more than 175 million merchant locations worldwide. Transactions are converted at the point of sale, while behind the scenes settlement can now take place using stablecoins over supported blockchain networks.
The companies said Bridge-enabled stablecoin cards are currently live in 18 countries, with plans to expand to more than 100 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East by the end of 2026.
Moving settlement on-chain
The announcement builds on Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot, first launched in recent years as the network explored the use of blockchain-based assets for back-end settlement between issuers and acquirers.
Lead Bank was earlier confirmed as a participant in that pilot. Bridge provides the stablecoin infrastructure supporting the bank’s involvement, effectively linking card issuance, wallet balances and on-chain settlement flows.
The pilot is designed to test whether stablecoin settlement can offer issuers greater flexibility in how they manage liquidity and move funds, while also assessing operational efficiencies from on-chain reconciliation and faster fund transfers. It also evaluates the role of infrastructure providers such as Bridge in abstracting blockchain complexity for regulated institutions.
Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto at Visa, said the company is “committed to meeting businesses where they operate, and increasingly, that’s onchain”, adding that the expanded collaboration gives partners more choice in how they settle transactions.
For Bridge, which was acquired by Stripe in February 2025, the agreement represents a step towards embedding custom stablecoins more directly into mainstream payment rails.
Zach Abrams, CEO and co-founder of Bridge, described the partnership as part of a multiyear effort to help businesses “own their own financial stack”, including issuing and spending stablecoins through card programmes.
From wallets to everyday spend
The expansion reflects a broader industry effort to move stablecoins beyond trading venues and into everyday payments. Crypto wallet providers such as Phantom and MetaMask are already using Bridge-enabled Visa cards to allow customers to spend stablecoin balances for retail purchases.
Stablecoin-linked cards have emerged as a key bridge between decentralised finance and traditional payment infrastructure. Rather than requiring merchants to accept stablecoins directly, the card network handles conversion and authorisation, enabling consumers to transact in digital dollars while merchants continue to receive fiat currency.
Visa’s latest move follows several years of experimentation with digital assets, including USDC settlement pilots and crypto-linked card programmes in partnership with exchanges and fintechs. Rival card networks have pursued similar initiatives, but Visa has positioned itself as one of the more active global players in stablecoin integration.
Evaluating support for new assets
In addition to the expanded card and settlement collaboration, Visa said it is evaluating potential future support for Bridge-issued assets in additional payment flows. The assessment will focus on how such assets could complement Visa’s existing network and introduce new settlement pathways for partners.
The announcement comes amid increasing regulatory clarity in several jurisdictions around stablecoins, particularly in the US and parts of Europe, where policymakers are seeking to define the treatment of fiat-backed digital assets within existing financial frameworks.
By linking stablecoin issuance, card acceptance and on-chain settlement within a regulated banking structure, Visa and Bridge are testing whether blockchain-based assets can operate not as an alternative to traditional payments infrastructure, but as an extension of it.
