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- Visa and Bridge to expand stablecoin card program to 100+ countries by year-end.
- Users can spend stablecoins via MetaMask or Phantom at 175M Visa-accepting merchants. Bridge tests on-chain settlement to boost transaction speed and reduce payment friction.
Visa plans to expand its program that enables users to spend their stablecoins using cards issued through the partnership with Bridge to over 100 countries by the end of this year.
As per the announcement, this program enables users to spend their stablecoins using digital wallets such as MetaMask and Phantom at any merchant that accepts Visa cards. This program has 175 million locations worldwide.
The program was first rolled out in 2025 in Latin American countries. Today, the program is operational in 18 countries in regions such as Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. This enables users to pay using their balance in the stablecoin rather than exchanging their balance for fiat currency.
Lead Bank and Visa Enhance Stablecoin Payments
Bridge is also testing on-chain settlement for participating issuers and acquirers. This allows payments to settle in the user’s balance in the stablecoin without exchanging it for fiat currency. This improves the speed and minimizes friction in the process of payment settlement.
Lead Bank also plays a part in this program by improving the transaction flow and transaction transparency. This is in addition to the earlier program that tested the feasibility of using stablecoins in the process of payment settlement between partners in the Visa network.
According to the head of crypto at Visa, Cuy Sheffield, this program enables partners to have more options in the process of payment. He stated that the use of stablecoins improves the speed, visibility, and programmability in the process of payment. He also stated that Visa acts as a bridge between digital assets and the global payment system.
This comes after Bridge witnessed considerable growth. Stripe acquired Bridge for $1.1 billion. The company has been expanding its crypto services.
Also Read: South Korea Crypto Scandal Deepens After Wallet Leak Shock
This includes tools for creating stablecoins and the development of the Tempo blockchain with Paradigm. Bridge was also granted conditional approval for a national bank charter by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Growing Regulatory Support and Rising Industry Adoption
This grants Bridge permission to hold crypto assets, issue stablecoins, and maintain reserves. This charter is aimed at supporting the company’s broader service model. This comes at a time when other payment companies are exploring similar products for issuing stablecoins.
PayPal and Mastercard have been testing cards for spending using digital dollar tokens. This indicates an increase in interest in using stablecoins for payments.
Stablecoins have the potential to improve payments, payroll, and other day-to-day activities. This comes with the benefits of reduced settlement time and costs compared to traditional banking. This indicates an increase in the use of payment tools with regulated systems of finance and crypto assets.
Visa’s partnership with Bridge highlights that shift. This indicates a shift towards the acceptance of payments through the use of stablecoins in the global market.
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