Stablecoins are growing, becoming a market valued at 320 billion USD, but actual use to make real payments is still in its early stages. Last year, massive transactions through stablecoins exceeded 33 trillion USD, but less than 1% were actually spent. VISA is building a bridge to fill this gap.

Visa has been nominated for the Best Stablecoin Infrastructure award in the Tokenization & On-Chain Finance category of BeInCrypto Institutional 100 Awards 2026.

The annual payment rate for stablecoins is approximately 4.6 billion USD, with stablecoin-linked card programs of 130+ and countries able to issue cards of 50+. The Bridge card was launched and is available in 18 countries, with stablecoin usage of 47 million per month (tracked by Visa).

Visa's Stablecoin Infrastructure Snapshot

Receiving this nomination reflects that the company has moved beyond the experimental phase and built broader stablecoin infrastructure in terms of payments, card issuance, refunds, data analytics, consulting services, and blockchain oversight.

Visa is playing a more significant role in the stablecoin market as the market size expands. Although the market value has reached 320 billion USD, most use remains limited to institutional users.

Visa's own analytical data shows that only a small proportion of the enhanced stablecoin volume comes from transactions below 250 USD.

This gap explains Visa's strategy. The company does not view stablecoins merely as niche crypto market products but sees them as the infrastructure of a new payment and funding system.

We are still in the early stages of stablecoin adoption. Despite transaction volumes reaching 33 trillion USD, only 1% is actually spent. For Visa, stablecoins represent another form of money. We emphasize the benefits of money movement, especially through cards linked to stablecoins, which will become a bridge between digital assets and everyday spending, said Andranik Mnatsakanyan, Head of Stablecoin for the EU at Visa.

Turning blockchain money into spendable cash

By early 2026, Visa's global stablecoin payment activity is projected to reach an average of approximately 4.6 billion USD annually. The company currently supports over 130 stablecoin-linked card programs in more than 50 countries.

The core system was built starting with USDC payments, then expanded to a broader operating model. Card issuers and payment recipients in the U.S. can settle accounts with Visa via blockchain, including on Solana, supported by early participants such as Cross River Bank and Lead Bank.

This has further embedded stablecoins into Visa's existing network, as stablecoins are no longer separate from traditional payment systems but are directly connected to the systems that card issuers and fintechs already use.

Visa's stability card strategy is particularly important as it addresses practical issues. While stablecoins can be transferred quickly on the blockchain, users still want a way to spend stablecoins in everyday transactions.

Cards are becoming a bridge. This is where your crypto, once added to your wallet, becomes real funds that you can spend anywhere, said the head of Visa's Stablecoin Practice in the EU.

This principle underlies Visa's collaboration with Bridge, which is the stablecoin infrastructure platform owned by Stripe.

By March 2026, Visa cards powered by Bridge will be operational in 18 countries, with plans to expand to over 100 countries by the end of the year.

Building the infrastructure behind spending

Visa's development work on stablecoins goes beyond just the card business.

By the end of 2025, the company launched a pilot program that allows businesses using Visa Direct to send payments that recipients choose to receive as USDC.

This product is suitable for use cases such as payments to creators, freelance income, and cross-border payments, which require speed and stability of USD value.

At the same time, Visa Consulting & Analytics has launched the Stablecoins Advisory service to help banks, fintechs, and merchants plan coin issuance, deposits, and cash management strategies, demonstrating that the company views stablecoins as a transition in infrastructure, not just a product feature.

Visa is also entering the regulatory process, as in March 2026, Visa was selected as a Super Validator on the Canton Network, a blockchain for large financial institutions focused on privacy, with Visa receiving the highest regulatory weight of 10, giving it real influence over network upgrades and direction.

Betting on the future of money movement

Visa has also built infrastructure for bank-issued tokens through the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform, or VTAP. This platform allows banks to create, destroy, and manage their own stablecoins and tokenized cash assets.

That's why Visa stands out in this space, having created a comprehensive solution across the system, including settlement, cards, payments, consulting services, network oversight, analytics, and token issuance tools.

BeInCrypto Institutional 100 Awards is a platform that honors companies creating systems that will be the standard of modern finance, with Visa's nomination reflecting its role in transforming stablecoins from crypto assets into functional financial infrastructure.