Stablecoins are growing rapidly – the market capitalization is already 320 billion dollars. However, real payments are still in their infancy. Last year, a massive 33 trillion dollars was processed through stablecoins, but less than 1% of that was actually used for payments. VISA is building a bridge to address this gap.
Visa is nominated for the Best Stablecoin Infrastructure award in the Tokenization & On-Chain Finance category at the BeInCrypto Institutional 100 Awards 2026 event.
Annualized stablecoin settlement volume 4.6 billion dollars Stablecoin-linked card programs 130+ Countries where issuance is possible 50+ Bridge card implementation in use in 18 countries Visa monitored monthly active stablecoin addresses 47 million
Visa Stablecoin Infrastructure Overview
The nomination reflects how the company has transitioned from the pilot phase to building a broader stablecoin ecosystem encompassing settlement, card issuance, payments, analytics, advisory, and blockchain governance.
Visa has risen to a central position in the stablecoin market, which is growing into a new scale. The market capitalization is already 320 billion dollars, but the operation is largely institutional.
Visa's own analysis shows that only a small portion of the customized volume of stablecoins consists of transfers under 250 dollars.
This difference describes Visa's strategy. The company does not view stablecoins merely as a niche crypto product but faces it as a new payment method and monetary management infrastructure.
"We are still at the very beginning of stablecoin adoption. Although the volume is 33 trillion dollars, only about 1% relates to actual payment cases. From Visa's perspective, stablecoins are money like any other. We are focusing on how they can improve the transfer of money, especially through stablecoin cards, where the card acts as a connection between digital assets and everyday consumption," says Andranik Mnatsakanyan, Visa's European stablecoin leader.
How is blockchain currency made usable in everyday life?
At the beginning of 2026, Visa's global annual volume of stablecoin settlements was about 4.6 billion dollars. The company now supports over 130 stablecoin card programs in more than 50 countries.
Core construction began with USDC settlement and has since expanded into a broader operational model. U.S. issuers and recipients can settle transactions with Visa on-chain, including Solana, in collaboration with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank.
Stablecoins have thus become more deeply integrated into Visa's network. They are no longer outside traditional payments but are directly linked to the systems that issuers and fintechs already use.
Visa's stablecoin card strategy is particularly important because it addresses a practical problem. Stablecoins can move quickly on the blockchain, but users still need a way to use them for everyday payments.
"The card is now a bridge. When you add your crypto to the wallet, it becomes real money that you can use anywhere," says Visa's EU stablecoin leader.
This is how Visa's collaboration with Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure platform of the Stripe group, works.
By March 2026, Visa cards supported by the Bridge platform were in use in 18 countries, with plans to expand to over 100 countries by the end of the year.
Infrastructure behind payments
Visa's stablecoin work has clearly expanded beyond cards.
In late 2025, the company launched an experiment in which Visa Direct service customers can send payments that the recipient can optionally receive in USDC form.
The product is suitable for payments to content creators, freelancer fees, and international transfers where speed and monetary stability are important.
At the same time, Visa Consulting & Analytics established the Stablecoins Advisory Practice unit to support banks, fintech companies, and merchants in planning issuance, custody, and financial management. This demonstrates that the company sees stablecoins as a change in infrastructure, not just a feature of a product.
Visa has also moved into the governance layer. In March 2026, it was selected as a Super Validator for the Canton Network, which is a privacy-focused institutional blockchain for large financial institutions. Visa received the highest governance weight, 10, which gives the company real influence over development directions.
A bet on where money will move next
Visa has also built infrastructure for banks' issued tokens through the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform, or VTAP. Through the platform, banks can create, remove, and manage their own stablecoins and tokenized financial products.
This makes Visa significant in this category. The company has built a comprehensive operation that includes settlements, cards, payments, advisory services, validation roles, analytics, and tools for token issuance.
The BeInCrypto Institutional 100 Awards program recognizes companies that are building new financial systems for the future. Visa's nomination reflects its role in developing stablecoins from cryptocurrency to usable financial infrastructure.