Visa has launched a pilot program that allows businesses to make payments in stablecoins converted from fiat currency directly to recipients’ digital wallets. This initiative aims to speed up the delivery of funds to creators, freelancers and gig-economy workers in the United States, reducing frictions inherent to traditional settlement systems.
The program, operated through the Visa Direct platform, converts fiat funds into dollar-denominated stablecoins (primarily USDC) at the time of payment and sends them directly to compatible wallets. Each transaction is recorded on the blockchain, significantly improving the auditability of the process.
To participate, recipients must have a compatible wallet and complete KYC/AML verifications, which introduces safeguards against illicit uses but adds operational requirements for integrators and compliance partners.
According to data cited by the initiative, 57% of digital creators prioritize instant access to their earnings, a central argument for offering near-instant payments compared with the days currently consumed by correspondent banking chains. Additionally, stablecoin transaction volumes in 2024 are approximately $27.6 trillion, with projections placing the market size at more than $2 trillion by 2028.
Operation and impact of stablecoin payments
Latency reduction, with near-instant payments compared with traditional settlements, improving cash flow for workers and creators. Also there´s Integration requirements, as companies adopting the service will need to manage wallets, KYC/AML onboarding and digital custody
This pilot extends previous pre-financing experiments with stablecoins and is part of a strategy seeking new revenue sources for Visa. The company has set ambitious targets for 2026, making that year a relevant milestone to evaluate whether this route scales beyond limited tests.
