Visa has introduced a 24‑hour, weekend‑available settlement service that uses Circle’s USDC stablecoin to settle card‑related transactions in the United States. The service is designed to be invisible to cardholders, providing banks that partner with Visa with faster, programmable settlement that operates around the clock without altering the customer experience.
The first banks to adopt the new service are Cross River Bank and Lead Bank. Visa plans to roll the offering out to additional U.S. banks in 2026, positioning the stablecoin as a core component of its settlement layer and a key driver of operational resilience for its partners.
Initial settlements are executed on the Solana blockchain, with a future transition to Visa’s own Arc Layer‑1 blockchain. Visa is a design partner for Arc and will operate a validator node, ensuring that the stablecoin settlement infrastructure is tightly integrated with Visa’s payment network and compliant with regulatory standards.
From Visa’s perspective, the launch represents a strategic shift toward a more modern, blockchain‑enabled settlement architecture. Faster, programmable settlement reduces the time and cost of moving funds between banks, improves treasury efficiency, and enhances the network’s resilience to outages or delays that traditionally affect overnight settlement cycles.
For Circle, the partnership is a milestone that validates its USDC as a bank‑ready currency. The stablecoin’s settlement volume with Visa has already exceeded a $3.5 billion annualized run rate as of November 30 2025, underscoring the growing institutional appetite for stablecoins and expanding Circle’s liquidity base.
The announcement comes amid a regulatory environment that has become more favorable for stablecoins. In July, a federal framework signed by President Donald Trump provided clearer guidance for stablecoin issuers, and the current U.S. regulatory climate continues to support the integration of digital assets into mainstream payment systems.
Investors and market analysts have reacted positively to the news, citing the partnership as a strong endorsement of stablecoins in traditional banking infrastructure. The move is expected to accelerate broader adoption of digital currencies in payment processing and treasury operations.
"Visa is expanding stablecoin settlement because our banking partners are not only asking about it – they're preparing to use it," said Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships at Visa. "Financial institutions are looking for faster, programmable settlement options that integrate seamlessly with their existing treasury operations. By bringing USDC settlement to the U.S., Visa is delivering a reliable, bank‑ready capability that improves treasury efficiency while maintaining the security, compliance and resiliency standards our network requires." Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Circle, added, "Bringing USDC settlement to the U.S. with Visa is a milestone for internet native money moving at the speed of software. It helps card‑issuing financial institutions modernize treasury and unlock new services while retaining the transparency and trust that USDC is known for."
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