Visa is set to revolutionize the realm of international transactions with its latest stablecoin prefunding pilot through Visa Direct, aiming to enhance the speed and adaptability of cross-border payments.

Innovative Use of Stablecoins by Visa Direct

The renowned payments leader, Visa, has taken a significant step in modern financial systems by unveiling a pioneering pilot program for Visa Direct, its instantaneous global payments platform. This announcement, made at the recent Sibos 2025, reveals that organizations can now prefund their overseas transactions using stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies tied to stable fiat currencies.

Historically, users of Visa Direct were limited to prefunding with traditional fiat currencies, which often resulted in lengthy processing times. Payments could sometimes lag for several days, compelling businesses to allocate their resources in advance. Now, with the integration of stablecoins, these transactions could be settled in just a few minutes.

Chris Newkirk, President of Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, emphasized the transformation this technology brings:

Traditional systems have hampered cross-border payments for years. With the introduction of stablecoins into Visa Direct, we can facilitate instant, global transactions, empowering businesses with flexibility in payment options.

The prefunding mechanism with stablecoins mimics fiat transactions: Visa classifies these tokens as “available funds.” Recipients also enjoy the option of receiving payments in their local currency rather than being constrained to stablecoins.

This new pilot offers businesses enhanced accessibility to their capital, eliminating the need to immobilize funds for extended periods as required by conventional fiat systems. Currently, the Visa Direct pilot is exclusive to select partners that fulfill particular criteria, with plans to broaden availability by April 2026.

According to the announcement:

By blending the vast reach and reliability of Visa’s global network with the innovative capabilities of blockchain technology, along with collaborations with leading payment providers, Visa is ushering in a new era for international payments for consumers, financial entities, and businesses alike.

Visa is not alone in its efforts to enhance cross-border transactions at Sibos 2025. The payments messaging platform SWIFT has also unveiled a collaborative blockchain-based ledger, developed in partnership with over thirty major financial institutions.

Recent Movements in Bitcoin’s Price

Bitcoin recently breached the $114,700 threshold, showcasing apparent bullish trends; however, this upward momentum appears to have waned as the cryptocurrency has retreated to the $112,800 region.

The performance trends of the coin can be observed in the accompanying chart:

A potential cautionary indicator may be linked to a notable surge in Open Interest that coincided with the price increase, as highlighted by CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn in a recent post on X.

Sudden spikes in speculative activity can induce substantial volatility within Bitcoin markets, which could have been the case here.