Visa expands stablecoin settlement to nine blockchains

Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot has reached a $7 billion annualized run rate after the company added five new blockchains to its network, lifting total support to nine and pushing volumes up 50% from the previous quarter.

The move expands Visa’s multi-chain settlement model and deepens its reach into digital asset infrastructure worldwide, as the company connects stablecoin-backed payment flows to traditional card and banking rails.

New blockchains added to Visa network

Visa said it has added Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon, and Tempo to its settlement program, joining existing support for Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Stellar.

The company described the expansion as a step toward a unified, multi-chain settlement layer for partners that operate across different blockchain frameworks. The broader network is designed to let payment firms and fintechs select blockchains based on their preferred features, including:

• transaction speed
• network fees
• privacy characteristics
• developer ecosystem

Polygon and Base stand out among the new additions. Polygon processes more than 9 million transactions a day, while Base has recently averaged over 400,000 daily active users on a weekly basis, highlighting the scale and activity levels available for settlement.

Global footprint and USDC expansion

Visa’s stablecoin settlement programs are already live across Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The company recently expanded its U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin (USDC) settlement network to cover U.S. banks. It now supports more than 130 stablecoin-linked card initiatives in over 50 countries, connecting digital dollar balances to card-based spending and settlement.

USDC, the stablecoin at the center of these efforts, currently has a market capitalization of about $77.47 billion and a 24-hour trading volume above $13 billion, underscoring its liquidity and role in digital dollar transactions.

Analyst outlook and stock rating

Analysts at William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on Visa’s stock, citing expected growth in stablecoin-based business transactions as a rising component of the company’s overall payments ecosystem.

The team, led by Jeffrey at William Blair, pointed to:

• ongoing work on agent-driven commerce
• a focus on interoperability between new digital payment systems and existing rails
• early integration efforts around central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), including potential links to the digital euro

The analysts noted that regulatory developments in Europe, particularly related to the digital euro, could reshape the regional market but emphasized that Visa is already working to tie CBDC frameworks into conventional payment networks.

Shift from pilot to multi-chain operations

Visa’s latest expansion builds on a pilot program that has been running for several years, signaling a move away from limited experimentation toward broader operational deployment.

The $7 billion annualized run rate and 50% quarter-on-quarter jump suggest:

• greater adoption by financial institutions and fintechs
• more stablecoin flows being used for real-world money movement and settlement
• rising comfort with blockchain-based infrastructure among global payment partners

By spreading settlement activity across several blockchains, Visa aims to create a more resilient and flexible network that can adapt to changing liquidity conditions and use cases.

Partnership with WeFi for self-custody payments

Separately, Visa announced a collaboration with WeFi, an “on-chain banking” provider, to enable digital asset payments directly from self-custody wallets.

The partnership is designed to let users:

• retain control of their digital assets
• access bank-like features, including IBAN numbers
• make payments through infrastructure that connects on-chain balances to traditional payment channels

The rollout will start in selected markets in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, targeting users who want to combine self-custody with card-like functionality and local account details.

Regulatory backdrop and the digital euro

European authorities are advancing plans for a digital euro, which has moved from an initial investigation phase into a preparation phase. The European Central Bank has indicated that an actual issuance, if approved, is unlikely before 2029 and depends on legislation expected to be considered around 2026.

William Blair’s analysis suggests that:

• cross-border transactions using stablecoins and potential CBDCs remain an area with significant growth potential
• clear regulation could accelerate institutional adoption of digital settlement instruments
• companies already integrating CBDC frameworks, such as Visa, may be positioned to capture early demand once rules are finalized

Broader implications for global payments

Visa’s stablecoin settlement expansion highlights a deeper integration between traditional payment infrastructure and blockchain technology. By supporting more blockchains and extending USDC settlement to banks and card programs, the company is:

• making digital dollars more practical for day-to-day and cross-border commerce
• offering banks and fintechs more choices in how they route and settle transactions
• preparing for a landscape where stablecoins and CBDCs coexist with conventional payment systems

For market participants focused on payment rails, these developments point to a gradual but tangible shift toward multi-chain settlement as a mainstream component of global payment architecture.