PayLens /News
Other
Visa enables USDC settlement for US issuers and acquirers on VisaNet
What happened
On 16 December 2025 Visa announced that eligible US issuers and acquirers can settle VisaNet obligations in Circle's USDC stablecoin, settling over the Solana blockchain seven days a week instead of the traditional five-business-day cycle, with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank among the first participants. Visa reported a roughly $3.5bn annualised stablecoin-settlement run rate as of late November 2025 and plans wider US availability through 2026.
Why it matters
Stablecoin settlement at a top card network compresses settlement timelines and treasury friction for acquirers; the US launch and run-rate growth foreshadow how USDC/EURC could enter European acquiring as MiCA-regulated euro stablecoins mature.
What to watch
Expansion beyond pilot banks, European/euro-stablecoin (EURC) settlement availability, acquirer demand, and competitive moves by Mastercard.
Sources
Related news
- 30 Sep 2026Visa and Lloyds settle 750,000 US dollars in stablecoin over seven days in the scheme's first trial with a major UK bank
- 2 Sep 2026Visa and Mastercard take Anthropic's commerce-agent blueprint to their merchant networks
- 18 Aug 2026Visa issues a request for product for a new stablecoin settlement partner after Mastercard bought BVNK
PayLens Radar
The newsletter on European payments: the week in five minutes. The developments that matter, curated and sourced, every Tuesday in your inbox. Free, no account needed.
Next issue in