Visa Launches Stablecoin Pilot to Revolutionize Cross-Border Payments

At SIBOS 2025, Visa  announced a major initiative aimed at transforming cross-border payments. The company will launch a stablecoin prefunding pilot through Visa Direct, offering businesses a faster, smarter, and more flexible way to move money globally. This initiative is designed to unlock liquidity and modernize treasury operations in a digital-first economy.

For decades, international money transfers have relied on slow, costly systems that require capital to be tied up in advance. Visa’s pilot introduces stablecoins as a new funding source, aiming to reduce friction, provide faster access to liquidity, and give financial institutions greater flexibility in managing global payouts.

“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long. Visa Direct’s new stablecoins integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay.”

– Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Visa

The pilot offers several benefits. Liquidity is unlocked, as businesses no longer need to pre-fund large fiat balances, keeping capital active while ensuring payouts. Treasury operations are modernized, allowing transfers to occur in minutes instead of days, and stablecoins provide predictability, reducing exposure to local currency volatility.

The process works by allowing businesses to pre-fund Visa Direct with stablecoins, which Visa treats as “money in the bank.” Funds are then immediately available for payouts, while recipients continue to receive payments in their local currency. The pilot is initially available to banks, remitters, and financial institutions that meet Visa’s criteria, with plans to expand in 2026.

Visa Direct’s stablecoin pilot is part of a broader strategy to modernize global money movement. By combining the scale and trust of Visa’s network with blockchain programmability, and partnering with leading payment providers, Visa aims to make cross-border payments faster, more flexible, and better suited for a digital-first world. The pilot is expected to move into limited availability by April 2026, targeting high-volume users seeking faster and more efficient liquidity management.