Visa is bringing USDC on-chain settlement to U.S. banks. In a move that pushes traditional payments further into crypto rails, Visa announced it is expanding stablecoin settlement in the United States by enabling issuer and acquirer partners to settle with Circle’s USDC on the Solana blockchain. The rollout is part of Visa’s multi-year effort to modernize its settlement layer and give banks faster, more resilient ways to move funds—without changing the consumer card experience. What’s launching now - Visa’s stablecoin settlement service is now available to U.S. financial institutions, letting them settle with Visa in USDC for the first time. - Initial participants include Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, which have already started settling on Solana. - Visa says benefits for issuers include faster fund movement across blockchains, seven‑day availability, and improved operational resilience over weekends and holidays. - A broader U.S. rollout is planned through 2026. Where Visa is headed next - Visa plans to support Arc, a Layer‑1 blockchain being developed by Circle that is currently in public testnet. Visa intends to use Arc for USDC settlement and to operate a validator node once Arc launches. - The company called the expansion a milestone in its stablecoin settlement pilot program and a core part of modernizing the rails that underpin global commerce. Background and scale - Visa first experimented with USDC settlement in 2021 and ran pilots in 2023. The company now counts more than 130 stablecoin-linked card issuing programs across 40+ countries. - Last month Visa expanded stablecoin settlement into Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) through a partnership with crypto infrastructure firm Aquanow. - Visa reported $3.5 billion in stablecoin settlement volume as of November 30. Bank and industry response - Visa framed the move as demand-driven. “Visa is expanding stablecoin settlement because our banking partners are not only asking about it – they’re preparing to use it,” said Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships at Visa. He added that financial institutions want “faster, programmable settlement options that integrate seamlessly with their existing treasury operations.” - Circle’s Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer, emphasized that fully reserved stablecoins like USDC support treasury modernization while preserving transparency and trust. - From the institutional side, Matt Freeman of Navy Federal Credit Union said stablecoins could “enhance speed and lower cost in payments” and that his institution is evaluating the technology with Visa’s support. New advisory services - To guide banks, fintechs and merchants through integration and strategy, Visa Consulting & Analytics launched a Stablecoins Advisory Practice (SAP). The unit will offer market-fit analysis, strategy development, go‑to‑market planning, technology enablement, and training— including a new Visa University course on stablecoins. Why it matters Visa’s expansion brings a major payments network’s bank-ready infrastructure to on-chain settlement in the U.S., signaling growing mainstream acceptance of stablecoins as a settlement medium for traditional finance players. For banks and card issuers, the promise is faster, always‑on settlement and programmable treasury workflows while retaining Visa’s security, compliance and resiliency standards. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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