Visa and Bridge are expanding their collaboration on issuing stablecoin-linked cards, currently available in 18 countries, with the program set to cover more than 100 countries by the end of 2026.
Payment network Visa and infrastructure platform Bridge announced the expansion of their global program for issuing stablecoin-linked cards. At present, cards operating through Bridge are available to users in 18 countries. By the end of 2026, the program is expected to expand to more than 100 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Among the crypto platforms that already implemented such cards are Phantom and MetaMask, serving millions of users.
The initial partnership between Visa and Bridge was announced in April 2025. Bridge, which operates under international payments company Stripe, provides FinTech developers with infrastructure to issue Visa cards that support balances in stablecoins. Cardholders can use them for everyday purchases at more than 175 million merchant locations connected to Visa.
At the same time, Visa is expanding its pilot project for stablecoin settlements. Under the initiative, issuing banks and acquirers, including participants in the Bridge program, will be able to settle transactions with Visa in stablecoins via supported blockchains. Earlier this year, Lead Bank joined the pilot, with Bridge providing the necessary infrastructure.
During the testing phase, the parties plan to evaluate:
- the possibility of expanding settlement options for issuers and program managers;
- improving operational efficiency through on-chain reconciliation and faster fund movement;
- the role of infrastructure platforms such as Bridge in simplifying financial institutions’ work with blockchains.
Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto at Visa, noted that the company sees growing demand for blockchain settlements and intends to integrate the speed, transparency, and programmability of stablecoins directly into the settlement process. According to him, this broadens partner options for transferring funds and strengthens Visa’s position as a bridge between the digital asset market and the global payments system.
Besides, Visa is considering the potential support of digital assets issued by Bridge in future settlement scenarios. This involves creating an additional internal settlement mechanism within Visa using such instruments.
Bridge CEO and Co-Founder Zach Abrams stated that the partnership with Visa is designed for several years and aims to enable companies to build their own financial infrastructure independently, including issuing customized stablecoins and integrating them into card programs.
In late October 2025, Visa also announced plans to further develop FinTech infrastructure that combines traditional and blockchain payments, including expanding stablecoin support and enabling banks to manage their own digital assets.
