Global payments leader Visa has underscored the growing strategic importance of stablecoins, stating that any institution involved in moving money will require a stablecoin strategy to stay relevant in the evolving financial landscape.

According to Visa’s latest analysis, stablecoins processed over $27 trillion in transaction volume across 1.25 billion transactions globally in 2024, signalling rapid mainstream adoption and the maturation of digital assets in the payments ecosystem.

Visa said its expanding stablecoin initiatives are aimed at reducing settlement costs, enhancing liquidity management, and enabling real-time settlements across all days of the year, including weekends and holidays—key advantages for cross-border commerce and fintech innovation.

Scaling Up Stablecoin Integration

In 2023, Visa became one of the first major payment networks to enable stablecoin settlement, allowing select clients to fulfil obligations using USD Coin (USDC). To date, Visa has processed over $225 million in stablecoin settlement volume through participating partners.

The company has since deepened its commitment, investing in BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure provider, and partnering with Bridge, a Stripe-owned platform, to expand the issuance of stablecoin-linked Visa cards.

Through this collaboration, fintech developers using Bridge will be able to issue Visa cards funded by stablecoin balances in multiple countries via a single API integration. End-users can make everyday purchases at any merchant that accepts Visa, effectively bridging digital currency with real-world utility.

“In 2025, we believe that every institution that moves money will need a stablecoin strategy,” said Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Solutions for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA).

“As more participants across the payments ecosystem explore stablecoin technology, Visa is ready to support this transformation—delivering scale, trust, and innovation to help build the future of global payments.”

Expanding Reach in Africa Through Strategic Collaboration

Visa also announced a partnership with Yellow Card, a pan-African stablecoin payments and crypto infrastructure provider, to explore new stablecoin use cases across African markets where Yellow Card holds regulatory licenses.

The collaboration will initially focus on enhancing treasury operations, streamlining liquidity management, and piloting potential integrations with Visa Direct to extend cross-border payment solutions across emerging markets.

“Together with Visa, we’re building a bridge between traditional finance and the future of money movement,” said Chris Maurice, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow Card. “This partnership enables us to deliver more secure, efficient, and transparent payment options across the continent.”