Global payment leader Visa is significantly expanding its stablecoin card partnership with Bridge, aiming for worldwide rollout to over 100 countries by year-end. This expansion, initially launched in Latin America, now includes markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East.
The collaboration is also piloting on-chain settlement, allowing transactions to be settled directly in stablecoins rather than fiat currency. This move, facilitated by Lead Bank, leverages the speed and programmability of stablecoins. Visa's head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield, stated the company is committed to meeting businesses on-chain, enhancing settlement processes. Visa is also exploring support for Bridge-issued programmatic stablecoins, which differ from those issued by third parties like Tether or Circle. Bridge co-founder and CEO Zach Abrams highlighted that this expansion allows businesses launching custom stablecoins to integrate them seamlessly into card programs.