Visa has launched a pilot program allowing businesses to use pre‑funded stablecoins for international payments, an initiative aimed at speeding up cross‑border transactions and freeing companies from tying up cash in local accounts.
Under the scheme, banks, remittance firms and other financial institutions can load stablecoins into Visa Direct ahead of payouts. Visa treats those tokens as available balances, making them usable for outgoing transfers. Recipients will still receive funds in their local currency.
The move addresses a longstanding inefficiency: global payments often require companies to hold fiat balances in multiple jurisdictions to guarantee local transactions. By contrast, using stablecoins can reduce that capital lock‑up and accelerate settlement.
Visa’s product lead for commercial and money movement solutions, Mark Nelsen, said the passage of the Genius Act has bolstered institutional confidence. He remarked that the legislation “made everything so much more legitimate” and eased hesitation from large players. The company says it’s working with unnamed partners and plans to expand the pilot in the coming year.
The pilot includes use of stablecoins backed by both U.S. dollar (USDC) and euro (EURC), according to Bloomberg reporting. Visa frames the project as part of a broader “treasury upgrade” geared toward liquidity, predictability, and reduced exposure to currency fluctuations in payout operations.
Visa asserts the integration is intended to reinforce, not replace, existing infrastructure. Nelsen noted the vast software systems already deployed in global payments make it more feasible to incorporate stablecoin rails rather than rebuild from scratch.