Visa announced a new pilot on November 12, 2025, at the Web Summit in Lisbon that lets businesses send payouts directly to recipients’ USD‑backed stablecoin wallets through its Visa Direct platform. The pilot, which focuses on USDC, gives creators, freelancers and gig workers instant access to earnings that would otherwise be subject to the days‑long delays of traditional bank transfers.
The move taps into a rapidly expanding stablecoin market that is reshaping cross‑border payments, payroll and treasury operations. By enabling instant, low‑cost transfers, Visa addresses a key pain point for the creator economy—fast, predictable cash flow—while positioning itself to capture new revenue streams as more platforms adopt blockchain‑based settlement. The pilot also signals Visa’s broader strategy to integrate distributed ledger technology into its core network, a trend that has gained traction as regulators clarify stablecoin frameworks and as digital‑asset usage grows.
Visa’s financial performance in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2025 underscores the company’s capacity to invest in such innovations. Net revenue rose 14% to $10.2 billion in Q3 and 12% to $10.7 billion in Q4, while adjusted earnings per share climbed 23% to $2.98 in Q3 and 10% in Q4, both beating consensus estimates by $0.13 and $0.01 respectively. The growth was driven by a 10% increase in core payment volume and a 23% rise in Visa Direct transactions, reflecting strong demand for instant, cross‑border settlements. These results demonstrate that Visa’s core business remains resilient, providing the financial foundation for expanding into new payment modalities.
Management highlighted the strategic importance of the pilot. Chris Newkirk, President of Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, said the initiative “enables truly universal access to money in minutes, not days, for anyone, anywhere.” CEO Ryan McInerney added that the company’s focus on AI and stablecoins “is helping shape the future of commerce while delivering sustainable, long‑term value for shareholders.” Their comments illustrate confidence that the pilot will reinforce Visa’s leadership in digital payments and support its broader innovation agenda.
Analysts have responded positively to the announcement, noting that the stablecoin pilot aligns with Visa’s track record of beating revenue and earnings expectations and its continued investment in high‑growth segments. The pilot’s potential to accelerate payouts for a large, underserved segment of the workforce is seen as a competitive differentiator that could drive additional transaction volume and deepen Visa’s presence in emerging markets. While the announcement does not immediately alter the company’s financial outlook, it signals a strategic shift toward blockchain‑enabled services that could shape Visa’s growth trajectory in the coming years.
The pilot is currently limited to select partners, with a broader rollout planned for the second half of 2026, contingent on client demand and regulatory developments. Visa’s ongoing engagement with regulators, including the U.S. GENIUS Act framework, will be critical to scaling the program. As the stablecoin ecosystem matures, Visa’s early entry positions it to capture a growing share of instant, cross‑border payments and to reinforce its role as a bridge between traditional banking and decentralized finance.
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