Visa has teamed up with global stablecoin provider BVNK to build the stablecoin infrastructure for Visa Direct, the company's £1.7 trillion money transfer network.

The collaboration will enable Visa Direct customers to unlock more choices for global payments using stablecoins.

BVNK, which processes over $30 billion in stablecoin payments annually, will help power Visa Direct's stablecoin services in select markets, including pre-funding stablecoins.

The shift will allow select corporate customers to fund Visa Direct payments using stablecoins instead of just fiat currency and to make payments to end recipients in stablecoins, depositing digital dollars directly into recipients' wallets.

The rollout will initially focus on markets with strong demand for digital asset payments, followed by broader global expansion based on customer needs.

Visa Direct is a real-time payment platform that enables businesses, banks and apps to send money directly to eligible debit or prepaid cards, often within seconds.

The infrastructure is used for fast global money transfers, including payments, P2P transfers, gig worker earnings, insurance payouts and cross-border remittances.

The partnership will help power Visa Direct’s stablecoin services in approved areas, aiming to open new avenues to meet a wider range of client needs and giving end users more choice in how and when they access their funds.

The announcement marks the next phase of the strategic relationship between the two companies after Visa Ventures first invested in BVNK in May 2025.

Mark Nelsen, global head of product, commercial and money movement solutions at Visa, said: “Stablecoins are an exciting opportunity for global payments, with enormous potential to reduce friction and expand access to faster, more efficient payment options - including during weekends, holidays and when banks are closed.”

Jesse Hemson-Struthers, chief executive of BVNK, added that the partnership will aim to unlock a new level of innovation in payments, where stablecoins will be integrated directly into the world's most reliable payment network.

“It will give businesses and end consumers more choice in how and when they receive and send their funds,” he added.

Visa recently partnered with Aquanow, a digital asset platform specialising in liquidity and infrastructure solution, to strengthen its stablecoin settlement capabilities in the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA).

Announced in November 2025, the agreement will see the global digital payments leader integrate Aquanow's digital asset infrastructure into its technology stack, with the move enabling its network of issuers and acquirers to settle transactions using approved stablecoins such as USDC.

---