Visa is conducting an ambitious pilot program that allows companies to send money in traditional US dollars (USD) but recipients receive Circle's stablecoin $USDC . This new program marks a significant step in integrating cryptocurrency into the mainstream payment systems of one of the global financial giants.
Under the mechanism of the pilot program, companies will conduct money transfer transactions as usual in USD, while the recipients—individuals in the gig economy and content creators—will receive an equivalent amount in USDC, the world's second-largest stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. Although companies currently cannot send stablecoins directly through this mechanism, the USD-to-USDC system has addressed a significant bottleneck in cross-border payments.
Visa clearly identifies this service as particularly useful for platforms that need to make small and irregular payments to millions of people globally, such as large companies like TikTok or YouTube, although the names of the partners involved in the pilot program have not yet been disclosed. To use the remittance service, anyone needs to have a valid stablecoin wallet and pass standard Anti-Money Laundering/Know Your Customer (AML/KYC) checks. Currently, the pilot program is limited to platforms and businesses based in the United States.
This service is part of Visa Direct, Visa's payment service that allows users to transact through the company's own independent payment rails, without relying on banks' systems. Although Visa has not specifically confirmed the payment rails used in this program, the company has recently taken steps to closely align with Circle regarding stablecoin infrastructure. Specifically, at the end of October, Circle announced that Visa was among the companies participating in the public test network for Arc, their new Layer-1 blockchain network, alongside other big names like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs.
#Visa is expected to broaden public access around the second half of 2026, depending on local approvals and regulations. This timeframe highlights the complexity and level of caution that major financial institutions face when integrating cryptocurrency technology, especially in a rapidly changing regulatory environment.
This pilot move is not isolated; it is part of a series of actions enhancing Visa's bullish sentiment toward stablecoins throughout 2025. In May, through Visa Ventures, the company made an unspecified strategic investment in BVNK, a London-based stablecoin infrastructure company.
Even earlier this month, Visa released a report predicting the increasing role of stablecoins in the $40 trillion global credit market. The report indicates that stablecoin-based lending could enable traditional institutions to shift a portion of this massive market onto programmable and blockchain-based platforms. Similar to its competitor Mastercard, Visa has also integrated support for cryptocurrency credit cards based on stablecoins, partnering with fintech companies like Rain in the U.S. and Bridge in Latin America. Overall, this latest USDC pilot program reinforces Visa's strategic vision: stablecoins are not just a means of payment but also an essential infrastructure component for the future global financial system. #anh_ba_cong
