Visa has launched a pilot program for stablecoin payouts using USDC.
The initiative connects traditional financial rails with blockchain infrastructure, enabling a wider reach for instant, transparent settlements. This marks a significant development in how global businesses and creators receive and manage cross-border payments.
Visa Launches USDC-Powered Payments
Visa’s new functionality, sneaked at the Lisbon Web Summit and announced at the Singapore Fintech Festival, enables U.S. platforms and companies to transmit direct payouts in stablecoins secured by US dollars. Now, recipients, such as independent contractors, freelancers, and digital creatives, have the option to have their money sent to a stablecoin wallet rather than a bank account or credit card. In order to ensure general compatibility and unambiguous regulatory compliance, it supports only USDC during the initial phases.”
Although fiat money funds outgoing payments, customers have the option to receive up to 100% of their reward in stablecoins like USDC. The initiative is part of Visa Direct, which handles real-time transactions totalling more than $10 billion a year. Instead of keeping track of users’ stablecoin wallets, Visa will provide companies the means to send money straight to third-party wallets like Coinbase and others.
Reducing Friction for the Creator Economy and Underbanked
The pilot directly addresses several persistent pain points in the global payment space. According to a Visa 2025 Creator Economy Report, 57% of online content creators and gig workers identify speed of fund access as decisive for payment platform choice. With the new service, recipients can bypass multi-day banking delays, avoid currency volatility, and receive stable value instantly.
Emerging markets are a key focus, as Visa estimates more than a billion people worldwide are unbanked but could receive and use stablecoins for personal and business purposes. Stablecoins present alternatives for those with limited access to banking infrastructure or US dollar accounts, and every transaction has a record on-chain for transparency and compliance.
The pilot is currently available to select U.S. partners and has plans to expand globally in 2026 as demand and regulatory clarity grow. Visa is also collaborating with global cross-border services like Nium to further streamline settlement for remittance and business payments.
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