TL;DR
- Visa will add stablecoin payouts to Visa Direct via BVNK, with pilot programs starting this year on a network that moves $1.7 trillion.
- Businesses in select markets can pre-fund payouts with stablecoins like USDC, and recipients can receive stablecoins to wallets for 24/7 settlement.
- BVNK processes over $30 billion a year; Visa says stablecoins complement existing rails, with a phased expansion shaped by customer demand and regulatory considerations.
Exciting news: we're powering stablecoin payments for @Visa Direct
Starting this year with pilot programs, BVNK will provide stablecoin infrastructure for @VISADIRECT's $1.7 trillion real-time payments network, enabling faster, more flexible global money movement. pic.twitter.com/0SxgIRrhof
— BVNK (@BVNKFinance) January 14, 2026
How the stablecoin layer plugs into Visa Direct
BVNK will sit under the hood, supplying the stablecoin infrastructure behind Visa Direct, so some business customers can pre-fund payouts with stablecoins such as USDC instead of relying only on fiat balances. Visa Direct already reaches cards, bank accounts, wallets. Recipients can also take delivery directly in stablecoins, putting digital dollars into wallets almost instantly. The practical shift is that payouts can run faster and stay available 24/7, even when banks are closed. The pitch is fewer cut-off times, fewer correspondent steps, and less cross-border settlement friction for global treasury flows.
BVNK says it processes more than $30 billion in stablecoin payments each year, and it will initially support Visa Direct stablecoin services in approved markets where demand for digital asset payments is strong. That rollout language matters because it implies gates. The payout format is pitched for cross-border use and for treasury teams that want more choice in how liquidity is held and deployed. The message is that stablecoins can complement existing rails, giving businesses optionality rather than forcing a full rebuild. Expansion is expected over time, shaped by customer needs and regulatory considerations.
The partnership builds on Visa Ventures’ investment in BVNK in May 2025, reinforcing a longer-term plan to modernise money movement while complementing existing rails. Visa’s Mark Nelsen said stablecoins can reduce friction in global payments and help on weekends and holidays, when traditional banks are closed. BVNK CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers called stablecoins a foundational layer of modern payments infrastructure. The real watch item is execution: whether reliability and trust hold as stablecoin payouts scale inside a $1.7 trillion network. For operators, the immediate agenda is governance, controls, and customer communication at scale.
