Visa Pilots Stablecoin Prefunding to Speed Global Payments

Published: 2025-10-01 01:10:09 |

Visa has launched a stablecoin prefunding pilot on its real-time Visa Direct network, allowing businesses to deposit fiat-pegged stablecoins for cross-border payments and cut settlement times from days to minutes. First announced on September 30 and unveiled at Sibos 2025, the trial is open to select partners and aims for limited availability by April 2026. Recipients can choose to receive funds in local currency after on-chain settlement. The initiative integrates blockchain programmability with Visa’s network, aligns with new regulatory frameworks (e.g., U.S. GENIUS Act, EU MiCAR, Asia rules), and comes as stablecoins – led by USDT and USDC – exceed $307 billion in market cap.

Neutral

While Visa’s stablecoin prefunding pilot represents a significant boost for cross-border payment efficiency and may drive higher transaction volumes in USDT and USDC, stablecoins are designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with fiat. Thus, despite increased demand and broader adoption, price fluctuations remain minimal. In the short term, market confidence in stablecoin liquidity could strengthen, but long-term price impact is expected to stay neutral given the pegged nature of these assets.