Visa Expands Stablecoin Pilot to Nine Blockchains

Visa Inc. announced Wednesday that it has expanded its global stablecoin settlement pilot program to nine blockchain networks by adding five new ones: Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon and Tempo.

The move builds on existing support for Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche and Stellar, allowing Visa's partners, including card issuers and acquirers, to settle transactions using stablecoins such as USDC across a wider range of chains. The program enables near-real-time, cross-border payments that bypass traditional banking rails, which often take days to process.

Visa reported that the pilot has reached a 7 billion U.S. dollar annualized settlement run rate, reflecting 50 percent growth from the previous quarter. The company now operates more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programs in over 50 countries, with expanded access for financial institutions in regions including Latin America, Europe, Asia and the United States.

"Our partners are building in a multichain world, and they expect their options to reflect that reality," said Rubail Birwadker, Visa's global head of growth products and strategic partnerships. "Expanding our stablecoin settlement pilot program to more blockchains means our...