Visa And Bridge Expand Partnership To Scale Stablecoin-Linked Cards To Over 100 Countries

In Brief

Visa has expanded its global card issuance and settlement capabilities with Bridge and Lead Bank to scale stablecoin-backed cards across multiple regions and enable on-chain settlement through its stablecoin pilot.

Digital payments company Visa announced an expansion of its global card issuance offering in collaboration with Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure provider owned by Stripe. The companies said the initiative builds on a product first introduced in 2025 and is intended to allow businesses and financial technology developers to issue payment cards backed by stablecoins. Under the updated arrangement, Bridge enables program operators to provide stablecoin-backed Visa cards, while a new partnership between Bridge and Lead Bank allows transactions made with those cards to be settled on-chain through Visa’s network.

According to the firms, developers using Bridge have accelerated the rollout of stablecoin-linked Visa cards in multiple regions since the initial launch of the product. The cards allow consumers to spend balances held in stablecoins for everyday purchases at more than 175 million merchant locations worldwide that accept Visa. Bridge-enabled cards are currently available in 18 countries, with plans to expand availability to more than 100 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East by the end of the year. Digital asset platforms, including Phantom and MetaMask, have integrated the cards to allow users to spend stablecoin balances directly for retail transactions.

The expansion also connects to Visa’s broader stablecoin settlement pilot, which allows participating issuers and acquirers, including those issuing Bridge-enabled cards, to settle transactions with Visa using stablecoins across supported blockchain networks. Earlier this year, Lead Bank was named as a participant in the pilot program, and Bridge provides the underlying stablecoin infrastructure used by the bank as part of the settlement process.

Visa Expands Stablecoin Settlement Pilot To Advance On-Chain Payments

Visa said the pilot is designed to assess how settlement using stablecoins could increase settlement options for issuers and program managers, improve operational efficiency through on-chain reconciliation and faster movement of funds, and clarify the role of infrastructure providers such as Bridge in simplifying blockchain connectivity for regulated financial institutions. In a statement, Cuy Sheffield said the company is seeking to support businesses operating increasingly on blockchain-based systems and that the expanded collaboration with Bridge is intended to integrate the speed, transparency and programmability of stablecoins into the settlement layer of the payments network. The company added that the initiative is expected to give partners greater flexibility in how value is transferred while reinforcing Visa’s position as a network connecting stablecoins with the global payments ecosystem.

In parallel, Visa said it is assessing the potential future support of assets issued directly by Bridge as part of additional transaction and settlement flows. The review will examine how such assets could complement Visa’s global infrastructure and provide an alternative settlement route for partners.

Bridge’s leadership described the initiative as part of a longer-term effort to help businesses build and operate their own financial and payments infrastructure. Zach Abrams said the expanded relationship with Visa is intended to allow companies that issue their own customized stablecoins to use those assets seamlessly within card-based payment programs.