Visa is set to provide financial institutions with an essential upgrade for cross-border payment capital movement through a pre-funding stablecoin platform.
The card scheme plans to launch a pilot on its real-time payments platform, Visa Direct, testing stablecoins as a funding source for upfront capital. This initiative aims to reduce friction, improve access to liquidity, and offer financial institutions greater flexibility in managing global payouts.
“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long,” says Chris Newkirk, President of Commercial & Money Movement Solutions at Visa. “Visa Direct’s new stablecoin integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay.”
Through the pilot program, businesses will have the option to pre-fund Visa Direct with stablecoins instead of fiat currency to cover payouts. Visa regards these stablecoins as ‘money in the bank,’ thus making funds accessible for payouts in local currencies.
The initial pilot is expected to transition to limited availability by April 2026.