Visa and Bridge, a Stripe company, are deepening their collaboration to accelerate the global adoption of stablecoin-linked Visa cards, enabling onchain settlement of transactions and planned expansion to more than 100 countries by the end of the year.
Visa is strengthening its partnership with Bridge, a leading stablecoin infrastructure platform acquired by Stripe, to expand the availability of stablecoin-backed Visa cards. This collaboration builds on the product first introduced in 2025 and now incorporates onchain settlement capabilities via Bridge’s partnership with Lead Bank.
Developers and businesses leveraging Bridge can issue Visa cards linked to stablecoin balances, allowing cardholders to make seamless everyday purchases at any merchant accepting Visa worldwide. Adoption has accelerated since launch, with cards now operational in 18 countries and targeted expansion to over 100 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East by year-end.
Popular crypto wallets and platforms such as Phantom and MetaMask are already incorporating these cards, providing millions of users with practical ways to spend stablecoins in real-world commerce.
Visa’s expanded stablecoin settlement pilot allows participating issuers and acquirers—including those issuing Bridge-enabled cards—to settle transactions with Visa using stablecoins over supported blockchain networks. Lead Bank, an early participant in the pilot, benefits from Bridge’s underlying stablecoin infrastructure to facilitate these settlements.
The pilot is designed to assess key advantages, including greater settlement optionality for issuers and program managers, improved operational efficiency through on-chain reconciliation and accelerated fund movement, and the value of platforms like Bridge in streamlining blockchain interactions for traditional financial institutions.
“Visa is committed to meeting businesses where they operate, and increasingly, that’s onchain,” said Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto, Visa. “Expanding our work with Bridge gives us one more way to bring the speed, transparency and programmability of stablecoins directly into the settlement process. This milestone gives our partners greater choice in how they move value, and it reinforces Visa’s role as a trusted network connecting stablecoins and the global payments ecosystem.”
Visa is also exploring future support for Bridge-issued assets within its settlement ecosystem. This evaluation will examine how such assets can integrate with Visa’s global network and create additional, efficient settlement pathways for partners.
“We’re on a multiyear journey to help businesses own their own financial stack,” said Zach Abrams, CEO and cofounder of Bridge. “This expansion of our work with Visa will enable businesses launching their own custom stablecoins to use them seamlessly within their card programs.”
This enhanced collaboration bridges traditional payment networks with blockchain-based stablecoins, delivering greater flexibility, faster cross-border value transfer, and broader accessibility for businesses and consumers in the evolving digital payments landscape.
About Visa
Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
About Bridge, a Stripe company Bridge is the leading stablecoin infrastructure platform for moving money globally. Businesses use Bridge to easily receive, store, convert, issue, and spend stablecoins, enabling them to serve new markets and move money faster and cheaper across borders. Bridge was acquired by Stripe in February 2025.
TechIntelPro empowers B2B technology decision-makers with the latest industry trends, deep insights, leadership perspectives and actionable intelligence to drive both organizational and professional milestones—and thrive on the tech pulse.