Visa and stablecoin infrastructure provider Bridge have announced a major expansion of their global stablecoin linked card program, signaling growing momentum for blockchain based payment systems within the traditional financial network. The initiative aims to extend stablecoin payment capabilities to more than one hundred countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
The program, first introduced in 2025, enables consumers to make everyday purchases using balances held in stablecoins. Through the Visa network, cardholders can spend digital assets at more than 175 million merchant locations worldwide. The expansion is expected to significantly increase access to stablecoin payment infrastructure as financial institutions and digital wallet providers integrate the technology into their services.
Bridge, a payment infrastructure platform owned by Stripe, provides the technology that allows stablecoin balances to connect directly with Visa cards. The system converts stablecoin balances into payment transactions that can be processed through the traditional card network while maintaining blockchain based settlement mechanisms behind the scenes.
Currently, stablecoin enabled Visa cards are active in 18 countries, where consumers can spend stablecoins through participating platforms and digital wallets. Companies such as Phantom and MetaMask have already integrated Bridge’s infrastructure, allowing users to link stablecoin balances to payment cards and use them for everyday transactions.
A key component of the expansion involves the introduction of on chain settlement for certain payment flows. Under Visa’s ongoing stablecoin settlement pilot, participating issuers and acquiring institutions can settle transactions using stablecoins on supported blockchain networks. The system is designed to explore how digital asset settlement could improve efficiency within the global payments ecosystem.
Lead Bank plays a central role within this framework by supporting settlement operations through Bridge’s stablecoin infrastructure. The pilot program allows financial institutions to test how blockchain based settlement can reduce reconciliation delays and create more transparent transaction records across payment networks.
Visa has indicated that the initiative is part of a broader effort to integrate stablecoin technology into global payment infrastructure. By connecting blockchain networks with established payment rails, the company aims to combine the speed and programmability of digital assets with the scale and reliability of the existing card network.
The collaboration also reflects growing interest among financial technology firms in building payment systems that operate across both traditional and blockchain based financial environments. Stablecoins have become an increasingly important part of global digital payments, particularly for cross border transactions and markets where access to stable fiat currencies can be limited.
As part of the ongoing development of the program, Visa is also exploring the possibility of supporting digital assets issued directly by Bridge in future payment flows. The evaluation focuses on how these assets could integrate with Visa’s settlement infrastructure and potentially provide additional transaction pathways within the global payment network.
