Visa has introduced a new pilot program that allows businesses to send payouts directly to users’ stablecoin wallets, marking another major step in its push toward crypto powered financial services. Announced at the Web Summit, the pilot uses Visa Direct to let companies fund payouts in fiat while recipients choose to receive their money in USD backed stablecoins such as USDC. This development opens the door for faster, more reliable, and borderless payments, especially for creators, freelancers, and digital workers who often face delays and high fees when moving money across borders.
The company framed this move as a major leap toward more universal and immediate access to funds. Chris Newkirk, Visa’s President of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, emphasized that the goal is to make money transfer possible within minutes for anyone, regardless of where they live. Newkirk highlighted that independent creators, global businesses, and cross border freelancers all stand to benefit from this expanded flexibility and speed.
Visa’s own 2025 Creator Economy Report shows clear demand for these solutions, noting that more than half of creators prefer digital or blockchain based payment methods because they allow instant withdrawals. With the global rise of the creator economy and remote work, the need for fast, stable, and predictable payouts has only intensified. Through Visa Direct, the company is building on previous experiments by enabling businesses to pre fund their payouts using stablecoins, ensuring near instant money movement around the world.
These efforts highlight Visa’s broader plan to modernize payments and offer users more control and transparency. By giving both businesses and individuals a wider range of choices in how they send and receive money, Visa is aligning itself with the growing shift toward digital assets. The initial rollout will focus on select partners, with wider expansion expected in late 2026 once regulatory clarity strengthens and demand continues to grow.
A key part of the pilot involves the decision to prioritize USDC rather than USDT. While USDC briefly overtook USDT in transaction volume earlier in the year, Tether has since reclaimed the lead. Even so, USDC remains a strong competitor and continues to attract institutional interest due to its regulatory positioning and transparency standards. This evolving landscape reflects how quickly the stablecoin market is maturing and why companies like Visa are positioning themselves early.
Overall, Visa’s stablecoin payout initiative signals a meaningful shift in how value moves worldwide, opening new opportunities for creators and businesses seeking faster, safer, and more flexible payment options.
