Visa and Stripe‑owned Bridge Extend Stablecoin Card Rollout, Add On‑Chain Settlement Tests
April 2025‑initiated program to reach more than 100 markets by year‑end as Visa pilots direct stablecoin settlement through a partnership with Lead Bank.
London, March 3 2026 – Visa announced on Tuesday that its stablecoin‑linked card partnership with Bridge, the payments platform acquired by Stripe, will be expanded to 18 new jurisdictions. The move is part of a broader plan to make the Visa‑Bridge card available in over 100 countries across Europe, the Asia‑Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East before the end of 2026.
The collaboration, first launched in April 2025 in six Latin‑American markets (Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Chile), originally operated by converting the cardholder’s stablecoin balance into fiat at the point of sale. Merchants received payments in their local currency, while the underlying blockchain transaction remained hidden from the settlement layer.
On‑chain settlement pilot
A key development in the latest phase is the testing of an on‑chain settlement model. Through a newly secured commercial banking relationship with Lead Bank, Bridge will enable Visa issuers and acquirers to settle transactions directly in stablecoins rather than converting to fiat first. Visa’s head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield, said the partnership “brings the speed, transparency and programmability of stablecoins directly into the settlement process.”
The pilot represents one of the few instances where a major card network is allowing the settlement leg of a card transaction to stay on the blockchain. If successful, it could pave the way for broader adoption of crypto‑native settlement infrastructure among traditional payment processors.
Potential support for Bridge‑issued assets
Visa is also evaluating whether to support stablecoins that are created on Bridge’s own infrastructure platform. Unlike well‑known assets such as USDT or USDC, which are issued by third‑party entities, Bridge‑issued tokens would be generated programmatically by businesses that use the platform. Bridge co‑founder and CEO Zach Abrams highlighted that the expanded Visa collaboration would let companies deploy their own custom stablecoins and immediately use them in card programs.
Context within the payments industry
The announcement arrives as the “stablecoin race” among global payment providers intensifies. Earlier this month, Mastercard rolled out a stablecoin‑enabled card in the United States that works with the self‑custodial MetaMask wallet, underscoring the growing interest in crypto‑backed debit solutions.
Bridge’s recent conditional approval from a U.S. regulator to operate as a national trust bank further solidifies its position as a bridge between the traditional banking system and decentralized finance (DeFi) services.
Analyst perspective
- Speed to market: By leveraging Visa’s extensive merchant network and the on‑chain settlement test, Bridge could accelerate the commercial viability of stablecoin payments, especially in regions where fiat conversion costs are high.
- Regulatory implications: The involvement of Lead Bank and Bridge’s trust‑bank status suggest a cautious but progressive approach to compliance, potentially smoothing the path for other card issuers to adopt similar models.
- Competitive pressure: Mastercard’s U.S. pilot puts pressure on Visa to differentiate its offering. The on‑chain settlement capability could become a unique selling point if it delivers measurable cost and latency benefits.
- Risks: Adoption will hinge on merchant acceptance of stablecoin settlement, the stability of the underlying tokens, and the regulatory environment in each new jurisdiction.
Key takeaways
- Geographic expansion: Visa‑Bridge stablecoin cards will be available in 18 additional countries, aiming for a presence in more than 100 markets by year‑end.
- On‑chain settlement test: Through Lead Bank, the partnership is trialling direct stablecoin settlement for card transactions, a first for a major card network.
- Custom stablecoins: Visa is studying support for tokens issued on Bridge’s platform, opening the door for businesses to launch proprietary stablecoins that can be used instantly on card networks.
- Industry dynamics: The move intensifies competition with Mastercard’s emerging stablecoin card products and signals a broader shift toward blockchain‑based settlement in mainstream payments.
- Regulatory footing: Bridge’s pending trust‑bank status and its partnership with a regulated bank provide a template for bridging DeFi assets with traditional finance.
If the on‑chain settlement pilot proves successful, Visa and Bridge could set a new standard for how stablecoins are integrated into everyday commerce, potentially reshaping the landscape of global payments.
Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/visa-stripe-bridge-stablecoin-card-rollout-test-onchain-settlement?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
