The program allows fintech firms and wallet providers to offer cards that let users spend stablecoin balances at any of Visa’s 175 million merchants worldwide.
Visa and Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure platform now owned by Stripe, announced a major expansion of their collaboration that will bring stablecoin-linked Visa cards to more than 100 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East by the end of 2026, according to an announcement posted on the Visa website today.
The program, which is already live in 18 countries, allows fintech firms and wallet providers to offer cards that let users spend stablecoin balances at any of Visa’s 175 million merchant locations worldwide, the announcement said.
Onchain Settlement
Under the expanded partnership, Bridge’s stablecoin-funded cards will leverage Visa’s payments network while settlement can occur on-chain through a pilot involving Lead Bank, a participating issuer in Visa’s stablecoin settlement initiative. Lead Bank settles Visa’s stablecoin transactions on the Solana blockchain as part of Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot.
The pilot is evaluating whether settling card transactions with stablecoins can increase operational efficiency, improve reconciliation and give issuers more flexibility in how value moves across payment networks.
“Visa is committed to meeting businesses where they operate, and increasingly, that’s onchain,” said Cuy Sheffield, Visa’s Head of Crypto.
Crypto Rails for Payments
Sheffield described the expanded Bridge collaboration as a step toward integrating blockchain-native currency settlement into the broader payments ecosystem while maintaining the convenience and ubiquity of Visa’s network.
Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge in 2025 underpins much of the technical infrastructure for the offering, enabling developers and fintech platforms to issue stablecoin-backed Visa cards through a single API.
Popular digital wallet providers such as Phantom and MetaMask are already using the solution, giving millions of users the ability to spend stablecoins for everyday purchases, the announcement said.
Custom Stablecoins
Bridge’s co-founder Zach Abrams said the expansion will help businesses launching custom stablecoins integrate them seamlessly into card programs, an approach he described as part of a multi-year effort to help firms “own their own financial stack.”
The announcement comes days after MoonPay and M0 launched PYUSDx, a platform designed to simplify the creation and management of application-specific stablecoins. PYUSDx leverages PYUSD, the stablecoin developed by PayPal and issued by Paxos Trust Company.
Industry analysts see the rollout as emblematic of how traditional payments firms and crypto infrastructure providers are increasingly working together. Stablecoin-linked cards have grown rapidly as a bridge between digital assets and real-world spending, offering a way for stablecoins to be used at scale without requiring direct merchant acceptance of blockchain payments.
Visa’s move also aligns with broader experimentation in the payments industry around stablecoins and blockchain settlement, as regulatory frameworks such as the GENIUS Act in the U.S. establish clearer rules for stablecoin issuance and use.
Source: https://thedefiant.io/news/tradfi-and-fintech/visa-and-stripe-owned-bridge-roll-out-stablecoin-linked-cards-to-100-countries
