Visa introduced a pilot project that enables companies to send payments directly to recipients’ stablecoin wallets. The new solution reduces payout times to just a few minutes and simplifies access to dollar payments for content creators, freelancers, and users of global marketplaces.
Payment network Visa announced the launch of a pilot program allowing businesses to pay users in dollar-pegged stablecoins such as USDC. Companies can fund payments in fiat, while recipients can choose to receive them in dollar-backed stablecoins.
The program targets international companies, marketplaces, content creation platforms, FinTech services, and recipients with compatible stablecoin wallets who completed KYC/AML checks.
According to Chris Newkirk, President of Commercial & Money Movement Solutions at Visa, the introduction of stablecoin payouts marks a step toward universal, instant access to money for users anywhere in the world. The new payout format is expected to be especially relevant for digital content creators working with international platforms and freelancers handling cross-border projects.
The pilot program is being rolled out with a limited number of partners. Broader adoption is expected in H2 2026 as demand grows and regulatory frameworks become clearer.
This initiative expands Visa’s ongoing blockchain payment efforts. In September, the company launched a program allowing businesses to pre-fund payouts in stablecoins. Now, end users will have the ability to receive their payments directly in stablecoins.
In an exclusive comment to CP Media, Alexandra Soroko, Senior Director of Growth Products and Partnerships at Visa, said the company views stablecoins as a new kind of network. “We’ll be embracing and incorporating stablecoins into our existing rails — depending on the client and the use case. It’s a perfect fit, solving real-world problems like time and speed of payments,” said Alexandra.
Visa’s research shows that 57% of content creators consider fast access to funds the most important factor when choosing digital payment methods. Speed and predictability of payouts were key motivations behind integrating stablecoin payments into Visa Direct.
