Visa & Stripe Push Stablecoin Cards Global

This collaboration builds on a program first launched in 2025, which initially focused on Latin American markets, including Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. The service is already active in 18 countries, allowing users to make purchases with stablecoins from self-custody wallets like MetaMask and Phantom. Stripe's role is facilitated through its subsidiary, Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure platform it acquired. This platform provides the API for developers to programmatically issue and manage the stablecoin-linked Visa cards. A key technical partner in this arrangement is Lead Bank, which is a participant in Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot. This partnership enables the transactions to be settled directly on-chain with Visa, a shift from the initial structure where Bridge converted stablecoins to fiat at the point of sale. For Visa, this is a strategic move to integrate digital currencies into its vast network of over 175 million merchant locations worldwide. Cuy Sheffield, Visa's Head of Crypto, has emphasized that this brings the "speed, transparency, and programmability of stablecoins" directly into the settlement process. This initiative is part of a broader trend of stablecoin integration into traditional payment rails, with total stablecoin transaction volume reaching $33 trillion in 2025. Visa itself has been involved in the crypto space for years, launching its first crypto-linked cards in 2019 and piloting stablecoin settlement with Crypto.com in 2021. The expansion will roll out across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East by the end of 2026. This move positions both Visa and Stripe to capitalize on the growing enterprise adoption of stablecoins for more efficient cross-border transactions.