Cross-border payments get a long overdue upgrade through Visa Direct’s new stablecoin prefunding option.
The way businesses fund cross-border payments is about to get faster, smarter and more flexible. Today, Visa announced it will launch a stablecoin prefunding pilot through Visa Direct, its global money movement platform that connects 11B eligible cards, bank accounts, and wallets. This capability gives businesses a new way to move money globally – unlocking liquidity and modernizing treasury operations for the digital-first economy.
For decades, moving money across borders has depended on slow, costly systems that tie up capital in advance. With this pilot, Visa Direct is testing stablecoins as a new funding source. The goal: reduce friction, unlock faster access to liquidity and give financial institutions more flexibility in how they manage global payouts.
“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long” said Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Visa. “Visa Direct’s new stablecoins integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay.”
Why it matters
- Liquidity unlocked: Stablecoin prefunding frees businesses from parking large fiat balances in advance, keeping capital working while still ensuring payouts are covered.
- Modernized treasury: Institutions can move money in minutes instead of days, making liquidity management more dynamic and responsive.
- Predictability: Stablecoins provide a consistent settlement layer, reducing exposure to local currency volatility and stabilizing treasury operations.
- Lower cost — Increase pre-funding frequency without increasing costs
How the pilot works
- Stablecoin pre-funding: Businesses send Visa stablecoins instead of fiat to cover payouts. Visa treats those stablecoins as “money in the bank.”
- Who it’s for: Banks, remitters and financial institutions that need faster, more flexible ways to manage liquidity across borders.
- Availability: Visa is working with select partners that meet the pilot criteria, with plans to expand the pilot in 2026.
The Visa Direct stablecoin pilot builds on Visa’s broader commitment to building the future of money movement: one that is faster, more flexible and designed for the digital-first world. By combining the scale and trust of Visa’s global network with the programmability of blockchain and by partnering with leading payment providers on prefunding use cases, Visa is helping modernize cross-border payments for businesses, financial institutions and consumers worldwide.
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