Visa launches payments with stablecoins: big step for crypto

Payment giant Visa is taking an important step in the world of crypto. The company has officially launched its technology for international payments with stablecoins.

This allows companies worldwide to make money available for cross-border payments faster, without having to wait for banks to open. The new service is an extension of Visa Direct and will be offered first through payment company Inyo Global.

Visa announced on October 15 that its stablecoin technology has left the testing phase and is now commercially available. From now on, companies can use the stablecoin USDC via Visa Direct to pre-finance international payouts almost immediately.

USDC is a cryptocurrency whose value is linked to the US dollar. One USDC is therefore usually worth about one dollar.

For companies that regularly transfer money abroad, the new working method can make an important difference. With traditional international payments, companies often depend on banks and their opening hours. As a result, it may take longer for sufficient funds to be available to make a payment.

With USDC, companies can make that money available at any time of the day. As a result, they do not have to rely exclusively on the usual processing times of banks.

The first partner to offer the technology is Inyo Global. This company supplies payment technology to, among others, financial technology companies, banks and companies that handle international money transfers.

Inyo's existing platform allows businesses to make payments to more than 180 countries. The actual availability depends on the location and the conditions that a company must meet.

Importantly, Visa is not announcing that consumers will now be able to pay directly with USDC at stores. The new service mainly focuses on how companies finance their international payouts.

The launch follows pilot projects Visa started in 2025. In doing so, the payment company investigated how stablecoins can be used to finance international payments and manage money flows more efficiently.

These experiments are now being converted into a commercial application for the first time via Inyo Global.

According to Vira Platonova, responsible for Visa Direct worldwide, the next phase of stablecoins is mainly about actual use.

“The next chapter for stablecoins is about adoption,” says Platonova.

Visa wants to show that stablecoins are not only interesting for crypto investors, but can also fulfil a practical function within the existing financial system.

For companies, the availability of money plays an important role. Anyone who makes international payments must have sufficient funds to make those transactions possible. With stablecoins, that money can be used more flexibly, even outside the regular opening hours of banks.

Robson Dantas, co-founder and technology director of Inyo Global, emphasizes that companies can continue to use their existing connection to the Inyo platform for this purpose. So they don't have to set up a completely new payment system.

The announcement shows how traditional financial companies are increasingly using crypto technology. Visa does not opt for a completely new payment network, but adds stablecoins to its existing infrastructure.

That's an important difference. Businesses can benefit from the speed and flexibility of stablecoins, while payments continue to be made through Visa Direct's and its partners' existing systems.

At the same time, the new service is not yet available for every company. Inyo Global is the first party to commercially offer the technology. Which companies gain access depends, among other things, on their location and the applicable conditions.

In addition, Visa has not yet disclosed how much money is expected to be processed through the new service. It is also unclear when other partners will offer the technology.

Visa does indicate, however, that it is working with customers and partners on more applications for stablecoins in international payment transactions.