Cross-border payments get a long overdue upgrade through Visa Direct's new stablecoin prefunding option.
The way businesses fund cross-border payments is about to get faster, smarter and more flexible. At SIBOS 2025, Visa announced it will launch a stablecoin prefunding pilot through Visa Direct, giving businesses a new way to move money globally – unlocking liquidity and modernizing treasury operations for the digital-first economy.
For decades, moving money across borders has depended on slow, costly systems that tie up capital in advance. With this pilot, Visa Direct is testing stablecoins as a new funding source. The goal: reduce friction, unlock faster access to liquidity and give financial institutions more flexibility in how they manage global payouts.
"Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long," said Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Visa. "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."
Why it matters
- Liquidity unlocked: Stablecoin prefunding frees businesses from parking large fiat balances in advance, keeping capital working while still ensuring payouts are covered.
- Modernized treasury: Institutions can move money in minutes instead of days, making liquidity management more dynamic and responsive.
- Predictability: Stablecoins provide a consistent settlement layer, reducing exposure to local currency volatility and stabilizing treasury operations.
How the pilot works
- Stablecoin pre-funding: Businesses pre-fund Visa Direct with stablecoins instead of fiat to cover payouts. Visa treats those stablecoins as "money in the bank," making funds available for payout.
- Who it's for: Banks, remitters and financial institutions that need faster, more flexible ways to manage liquidity across borders.
- Availability: Visa is working with select partners that meet the pilot criteria. We plan to expand the pilot in 2026.
The Visa Direct stablecoin pilot builds on Visa's broader commitment to building the future of money movement: one that is faster, more flexible and designed for the digital-first world. By combining the scale and trust of Visa's global network with the programmability of blockchain and by partnering with leading payment providers on prefunding use cases, Visa is helping modernize cross-border payments for businesses, financial institutions and consumers worldwide.
FAQ
Q: What is Visa Direct?
Visa Direct is Visa's real-time payments platform, enabling fast, secure payouts worldwide.
Q: What's new about this pilot?
This is the first time Visa Direct is utilizing stablecoins. Instead of only using fiat, businesses can now prefund Visa Direct with stablecoins.
Q: Do recipients still get traditional money?
Yes. Recipients can always be paid in their local currency.
Q: Why now?
Cross-border rails were built decades ago and stablecoins can provide the necessary upgrade to make payments faster, cheaper and programmable.
Q: Who benefits?
Banks, remitters and businesses with high volume cross-border payouts that require faster, more efficient liquidity management.
Q: What's next?
The initial pilot is expected to move into limited availability by April 2026.
About Visa
Visa (NYSE:V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
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Media Contacts
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