Visa partners with Bridge! Enabling direct card payments with stablecoins, expanding crypto payments to 100 countries

Visa expands partnership with Stripe’s Bridge, aiming to bring stablecoin cards to over 100 countries by 2026 and promote on-chain settlement.

Global Expansion and Strategic Layout for Stablecoin Payments

Yesterday (3/3), global payments giant Visa officially announced an expansion of its collaboration with Stripe’s stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge, planning to roll out stablecoin-linked cards to more than 100 countries worldwide by the end of 2026. This ambitious plan was initially launched in April 2025, with the first pilot focusing on Latin America, including Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. As the technology infrastructure matures and market demand continues to grow, the service is now live in 18 countries.

According to the latest development blueprint, the plan is set to deploy on a large scale across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East in the coming months. This expansion marks a key turning point for digital assets entering mainstream commerce, enabling fintech companies and various enterprises to issue Visa payment cards backed by stablecoin balances.

The widespread adoption of this service allows cardholders to use cryptocurrencies directly for daily transactions at over 175 million Visa-accepting merchants worldwide. By integrating digital assets with existing payment pathways, Visa is gradually implementing its long-term strategy to incorporate stablecoins into the global payment ecosystem.

Seamless Integration with Mainstream Crypto Wallets and Retail Payment Systems

In the current technical framework, Bridge’s infrastructure has successfully integrated deeply with leading global crypto wallets such as Phantom and MetaMask. This collaboration breaks down the barriers between digital assets and physical spending, allowing millions of users to pay directly from their digital asset balances, eliminating the need to transfer funds into traditional bank accounts beforehand.

When users swipe their cards at merchants, the system deducts the corresponding stablecoin amount from their linked wallet. In the initial phase, Bridge primarily handles backend currency conversions, instantly converting deducted stablecoins into fiat currency to ensure that global merchants can maintain their existing payment routines and receive funds in local currency. This model significantly lowers the technical barriers for merchants to accept cryptocurrencies while providing consumers with highly convenient payment options.

Bridge CEO Zach Abrams stated that deepening cooperation with Visa empowers companies issuing their own customized stablecoins to seamlessly incorporate these assets into their card programs, thereby strengthening their control over financial infrastructure.

On-Chain Settlement Pilot and the Transformation Toward Transparent Financial Infrastructure

Beyond geographic expansion, the core technological breakthrough of Visa’s collaboration with Bridge lies in advancing on-chain settlement pilot programs. Through technical cooperation with independent commercial bank Lead Bank, the project is testing how to bypass traditional financial clearing channels and settle transactions directly on blockchain networks. This means card issuers and payment processors now have more options, including settling directly with stablecoins without converting to fiat currency.

Visa Cryptocurrency Head Cuy Sheffield said, “Visa is committed to providing services in enterprise operations, and more companies are choosing to conduct business on-chain. The transparency and programmability of stablecoins can significantly accelerate fund transfers and simplify backend reconciliation processes for financial institutions.”

Lead Bank, as a key participant in the stablecoin settlement pilot, is leveraging Bridge’s technology to verify whether blockchain settlement can offer superior efficiency gains over traditional clearing processes. If successful and scalable, this pilot could create new pathways and possibilities for global cross-border fund flows.

Regulatory Compliance and Enterprise Stablecoin Issuance Tools

Stripe acquired Bridge in 2025 for $1.1 billion, demonstrating the payments industry’s long-term strategic interest in stablecoins. In February 2026, Bridge received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to transition into a national trust bank.

This approval establishes Bridge’s legal and compliant status to custody crypto assets, issue stablecoins, and manage reserves. Unlike third-party stablecoins like $USDT or $USDC, the Bridge platform supports enterprises in programmatically creating stablecoins based on their own business logic.

Visa is currently evaluating the possibility of supporting assets managed via Bridge infrastructure, which could provide more settlement options within Visa’s global network. Meanwhile, Stripe is collaborating with Paradigm to develop Tempo, a blockchain focused on payment efficiency, and continues expanding its crypto issuance and management tools. These initiatives reflect how traditional financial giants are accelerating integration with digital currencies, gradually building a modern financial infrastructure compatible with both worlds.

Further Reading
Tempo Chain Emerges! Ethereum Core Developers Jump Ship, Stripe Raises $500 Million

Global Stablecoin Race and Regulatory Push

While Visa actively expands globally, competitors like Mastercard and PayPal are also pursuing similar technological developments. Recently, Mastercard partnered with MetaMask to launch stablecoin payment features supporting self-custody wallets in the U.S.

This trend of technological innovation has accelerated in the U.S. following the passage of the stablecoin-specific regulation, the GENIUS Act, moving the industry into large-scale practical applications. Stablecoins are increasingly used in cross-border remittances, corporate payrolls, and retail commerce, offering higher cost efficiency and faster settlement compared to traditional banking systems.

Visa aims to maintain its role as a trusted core in the global payment ecosystem through ongoing collaboration with Bridge, combining stablecoin advantages with the extensive reach of traditional card networks. As stablecoins transition from niche markets to mainstream consumer use, this new payment paradigm is profoundly changing how value moves globally, making digital assets as practical and liquid as cash.