Visa adds stablecoin payouts to global payments network in BVNK deal

Visa has joined forces with BVNK to add the stablecoin payout feature to its Visa Direct platform. The partnership enables pre-funded payments in stablecoins and enables immediate payments to digital wallets in selected global markets.

Visa confirmed that the integration enables instant settlement and is not limited to banking hours. As a result, companies using Visa Direct can disburse funds across countries more quickly while adhering to local regulatory requirements.

The development is part of Visa’s efforts to modernize its $1.7 trillion real-time payments network.

Exciting news: we’re powering stablecoin payments for @Visa Direct

Starting this year with pilot programs, BVNK will provide stablecoin infrastructure for @VISADIRECT‘s $1.7 trillion real-time payments network, enabling faster, more flexible global money movement. pic.twitter.com/0SxgIRrhof

— BVNK (@BVNKFinance) January 14, 2026

Visa expands real-time payments 

Visa Direct already has use cases with high volume, such as payroll distribution, gig economy compensation, and cross-border remittances. With the addition of stablecoins on the platform, businesses have an alternative method of settlement.

The system allows companies to pay transactions in advance with the help of stablecoins before they make payouts. Funds then immediately settle into backed digital wallets. 

Mark Nelsen, Visa’s global head of product, said there are definite advantages in international payments using stablecoins. He said the technology helps to reduce friction as well as increase access to efficient digital payment tools.

Visa sees the integration as a pragmatic step towards combining blockchain rails with the existing payment infrastructure. He noted, “Stablecoins are an exciting opportunity for global payments, with enormous potential to reduce friction and expand access to faster, more efficient payment options.”

BVNK powers stablecoin transfers 

BVNK offers the underlying infrastructure for the stablecoin settlement process. The UK-based firm already handles over $30 billion worth of stablecoin transactions annually. Through the partnership, BVNK manages the process of moving and settling the stablecoins across supported markets. 

Visa, in turn, links that capability to its worldwide payout network. Consequently, businesses can access blockchain settlement without having to build their own infrastructure for managing digital assets. 

Visa first invested in BVNK through its venture arm in May 2025. Five months later, Citigroup made a strategic investment in the company backing the stablecoin platform. These investments indicate the growing institutional support of blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

The companies confirmed that the rollout will start in areas where there is strong demand for digital asset payments. However, they did not mention specific markets for the initial phase. Expansion decisions will be based on customer demand and business use cases, according to Visa.

Additionally, according to the announcement, all transactions will still be subject to local compliance and regulatory requirements. Visa stressed that the integration is in line with its existing risk and governance frameworks.

As a result, stablecoin payouts will be subject to the same standards as used across Visa’s large payment ecosystem. It is worth noting that Visa reported that its stablecoin settlement run rate had topped 3.5 billion per annum as of November 2025. In addition to the BVNK pilot, Visa has begun allowing U.S. banks to make transactions in USDC, a dollar-backed stablecoin, over the Solana blockchain.