Visa to Pilot Stablecoin Prefunding via Visa Direct to Speed Cross-Border Payments
Arab Finance: Visa announced it will roll out a stablecoin prefunding pilot via Visa Direct, the company’s global money movement platform that links 11 billion eligible cards, bank accounts, and digital wallets, according to an emailed press release. The initiative is designed to give businesses a fresh mechanism for moving money across borders, helping unlock liquidity and streamline treasury workflows for a digital-first economy.
Through this pilot, Visa Direct is evaluating stablecoins as a new source of funds for payouts and prefunding, with goals that include lowering friction in cross-border transfers, accelerating access to working capital, and offering financial institutions greater flexibility in how they source and manage global disbursements. Stablecoins—digital assets typically pegged to a fiat currency—can enable near-instant value transfer on blockchain networks, making them a compelling tool for modern payment rails when combined with established compliance and settlement frameworks.
“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long,” said Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Visa.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,” he added.
The stablecoin pilot underscores Visa’s broader strategy to shape the next era of money movement—one that is faster, more adaptable, and tailored to digital-first use cases. By pairing the reach and reliability of Visa’s global network with the programmability and transparency of blockchain, and by collaborating with leading payment providers on prefunding scenarios, Visa aims to modernize cross-border payments for enterprises, financial institutions, and consumers worldwide. The company’s approach highlights how established payment infrastructure and emerging digital assets can work together to reduce delays, expand liquidity options, and enhance the overall efficiency of international payouts.
