Visa entered into a strategic partnership with crypto payment network Mesh. The collaboration will allow users of cryptocurrency services to pay for purchases with cryptocurrencies and stablecoins directly from their digital wallets at merchants that accept Visa.
U.S.-based Mesh, a company specializing in cryptocurrency payment infrastructure, announced a partnership with Visa aimed at expanding payment options across its existing acceptance network. The integration will allow users to spend their cryptocurrency and stablecoin balances without first transferring funds to a bank account or obtaining a separate crypto card.
More than 200 enterprise clients use Mesh’s infrastructure. The company’s network connects hundreds of cryptocurrency wallets, exchanges, and platforms, with partners including Kalshi, Tools for Humanity, Félix Pago, Majority, and KAST. The combined user base of its partner ecosystem reaches hundreds of millions of people.
Under the partnership, Visa will provide access to its global payment infrastructure, while Mesh will handle the technical integration of digital wallets, funding source management, and asset conversion during transactions.
The new model will allow users of cryptocurrency platforms connected to Mesh’s infrastructure to pay for purchases at physical stores through standard contactless payment terminals and make online payments. Visa payment credentials will be provided in the background, eliminating the need for users to issue or fund a separate card themselves.
For merchants, the integration won’t require changes to their existing payment infrastructure. Businesses will continue accepting standard Visa payments without installing additional equipment or upgrading their point-of-sale systems.
Cryptocurrency platforms will connect to Visa’s payment network through a single integration with Mesh. This will allow wallet operators and other financial service providers to offer customers new payment options without developing their own card programs.
Mesh will be responsible for several functions:
Payment program management and user onboarding;
Customer identification and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures;
Funding source selection and conversion of cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and fiat assets;
Transaction processing through Visa’s existing payment infrastructure.
Bam Azizi, CEO and co-founder of Mesh, noted that existing methods of using cryptocurrencies for everyday payments require users to take additional steps. The integration with Visa aims to remove this barrier by enabling payments directly from digital wallet balances.
Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s global head of growth, emphasized that the partnership with Mesh will expand opportunities to connect digital assets with familiar payment tools used by consumers and merchants every day.
The partnership with Mesh is the latest in a series of Visa initiatives involving digital assets. The company previously tested cross-border stablecoin settlements with Lloyds, signed an agreement with Dunamu to develop stablecoin-based payment services, and expanded Visa Direct’s capabilities through a partnership with zerohash. Visa also introduced its enterprise-focused Visa Stablecoin Platform (VSP) and tested settlements using private stablecoins. For more on Visa’s development of stablecoin settlements, read our exclusive interview with Andranik Mnatsakanyan, Senior Director at Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA).
