#StablecoinPayments Stablecoins are reshaping the global economy.
Visa announced a partnership with Bridge to launch stablecoin-backed cards in Latin America. This means that instead of these cards being linked only to the dollar or euro, you will be able to spend stablecoins like USDC, USDP, and FDUSD in any purchase at over 150 million merchants accepting Visa, marking a significant shift in the global payments strategy.
Why is this step important?
The presence of Visa and MasterCard in the equation gives confidence to the average user and companies that stablecoins have become part of the financial infrastructure, not just investment assets.
In Latin America, like Peru and Argentina, inflation is high, and local currencies are unstable. Stablecoins will provide protection from price fluctuations and enable people to obtain a stable payment method.
The user does not need to understand blockchain or complicate themselves with complex digital wallets; they will just use the card like any regular bank card.
After that, MasterCard partnered with Circle, Paxos, and Novi to integrate stablecoin payments globally. Everything points to one direction: stablecoins will become an integral part of our daily lives within a few years.
The UAE, the new generation of digital currency.
In the same context, the UAE has not stopped at traditional banks. They are working on launching a digital currency backed by the UAE dirham called AE Coin, with an expected launch in the last quarter of 2025. The key partners are IHC, ADQ, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, under the supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE.
The project's goals are to enhance financial inclusion both domestically and internationally, improve payment efficiency, reduce costs and time in transfers, and accelerate digital economy growth and innovation in M2M solutions and artificial intelligence.
Egypt is on the right track...
Egypt has not remained silent either, but we have some differences. The digital pound (E-Pound) that the central bank is working on is a CBDC, not a stablecoin, meaning it is an official digital currency fully backed by the Egyptian pound. Its main goal is to enhance the efficiency of monetary policy and financial inclusion. Egypt has set a goal to launch the digital pound before 2030, reflecting that steps are being taken cautiously and with strong regulation.
So far, there is no official initiative or partnerships with private entities to issue a stablecoin backed by the Egyptian pound. Experts suggest that this could support tourism and reduce the burden of remittances, but no practical steps have been taken yet.
The global trend is clear: Visa, MasterCard, and central banks like the UAE are establishing the idea that digital currency and stablecoins are transforming into real financial products used daily.
Latin America is a living example of how stablecoins address inflation crises and provide consumers and businesses with a stable and fast payment method. Egypt needs to take a similar step, either by accelerating the launch of the CBDC or encouraging private stablecoin initiatives under central supervision.
Whether it's Visa in LATAM or AE Coin in the UAE, we must ensure compliance with anti-money laundering standards and also strengthen cybersecurity protections for digital infrastructure.
With infrastructure supporting digital payments, new solutions will emerge in decentralized finance (DeFi), the Internet of Things (IoT), and the tourism sector, especially since Egypt is a prime tourist destination.
FDUSD
0.9984
+0.01%
USDC
0.9997
-0.02%
USDP
