Visa is rolling out a new trial that lets businesses preload stablecoins into Visa Direct, sidestepping traditional funding delays.

The pilot, announced at SIBOS 2025, is designed to speed up access to liquidity, add flexibility in managing cross-border payouts, and modernize treasury operations.

Traditionally, international transfers require companies to set aside large fiat balances in advance, tying up capital and relying on slow, costly systems.

By prefunding Visa Direct with stablecoins, institutions can make money available for payouts in minutes rather than days, while recipients continue to be paid in their local currencies.

The pilot is aimed at banks, remittance providers, and other financial institutions that handle high volumes of international transactions.

Visa said the approach could help reduce reliance on legacy systems, provide greater predictability in settlement, and support more stable treasury management by limiting exposure to local currency volatility.

The programme will initially involve select partners that meet the pilot criteria, with limited availability expected by April 2026.

“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long.

Visa Direct’s new stablecoins integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay.”

said Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Visa.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by sodawhiskey via Freepik