Visa integrates stablecoins into 150 million-merchant network

Visa has partnered with Bridge, a stablecoin orchestration platform owned by Stripe, to launch stablecoin-linked Visa cards that enable consumers to make purchases at over 150 million merchants worldwide accepting Visa.

Cardholders can spend their stablecoin balances for everyday transactions, while Bridge converts the stablecoins into local fiat currency for merchants in real time.

For example, when a customer in Colombia uses their Bridge-enabled Visa card, the payment is deducted from their stablecoin balance and converted to the merchant’s local currency, ensuring seamless transactions.

Customers can also add these cards to compatible digital wallets for convenient payments.

“We’re focused on integrating stablecoins into Visa’s existing network and products in a frictionless and secure way,” said Jack Forestell, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Visa.

The rollout begins in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Chile, with plans to expand into Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

For fintech developers, the partnership simplifies offering stablecoin-linked Visa cards to customers across multiple countries through a single API integration, reducing development complexity.

Bridge handles the movement and exchange of digital currencies behind the scenes, working with Lead Bank as a financial institution partner to ensure merchants receive payments in their local currencies.