Visa and Stripe to Launch Stablecoin Cards in Over 100 Countries

Visa and Stripe to expand stablecoin cards to over 100 countries.

Payment company Visa and Stripe-owned infrastructure stablecoin platform Bridge announced the expansion of their stablecoin-backed card issuance program.

Launched in 2025, the product is already operational in 18 countries. The cards allow users to make everyday purchases using tokens in crypto wallets like Phantom and MetaMask. Visa transactions on the blockchain are facilitated through Bridge’s partnership with Lead Bank.

Transactions are available at over 175 million merchant locations using the payment giant’s services.

The project is currently focused on South and Central America. By the end of 2026, the partners plan to expand the program to 100 jurisdictions across Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East.

As part of the initiative, Visa is conducting a pilot to integrate stablecoin settlements with card issuers and acquiring clients. The company’s stated goals include:

• assessing transaction efficiency improvements through blockchain data reconciliation;
• determining the role of infrastructure platforms like Bridge in on-chain communications with institutions.

“Visa aims to engage with businesses wherever they operate, and increasingly this is happening in DLT networks,” said Cuy Sheffield, head of Visa’s crypto division.

Another goal of the Visa and Bridge collaboration is to evaluate the possibility of the payment company supporting intermediary assets issued by the platform. It is expected that using tokens in cash flows will enhance Visa’s network capabilities and introduce new settlement mechanisms.

The Stablecoin Boom Expands

Stripe acquired Bridge in October 2024 for $1.1 billion. The acquired solutions and technologies enabled the fintech firm to launch its own stablecoin issuance platform about a year later. Stripe also developed, in collaboration with Paradigm, the Tempo first-layer blockchain specifically designed for payments in pegged tokens.

Co-founder and CEO Patrick Collison explained the development of this direction, after years of ignoring cryptocurrencies, as driven by business interest in using “stablecoins.” Standard Chartered confirmed that corporate clients prefer such tokens over other digital assets.

Following the adoption of the GENIUS Act in the US in 2025, regulating stablecoins, many experts predicted a boom in this segment of the crypto market. JPMorgan suggested that the race to issue assets could become a zero-sum game.

In 2025, the total volume of stablecoin transactions grew by 72% and reached $33 trillion. USDC from Circle led with $17.3 trillion, compared to $12.9 trillion for USDT from Tether, despite more than twice the lag in capitalization.

Source: CoinGecko.

In January 2026, stablecoin transfer volumes exceeded $10.5 trillion. The token from Circle strengthened its dominance.

Earlier in February, it was revealed that by the end of the year, Meta plans to enter the stablecoin market. Stripe is the leading candidate for pilot testing of the future coin from the company that owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.