Visa launches USDC settlement in the United States
The credit card giant will let US issuers and acquirers settle VisaNet obligations in Circle’s USDC.
Visa launched USDC settlement in the United States, allowing U.S. issuer and acquirer partners to settle VisaNet obligations using Circle’s USDC.
The company said issuers can move funds faster over blockchains, access seven‑day settlement windows and gain operational resilience across weekends and holidays without any change to the consumer card experience. Initial banking participants Cross River Bank and Lead Bank have begun settling with Visa in USDC over the Solana blockchain, and broader availability in the U.S. is planned through 2026, the company said.
Visa said it is a design partner for Arc, a Layer 1 blockchain developed by Circle that is currently in public testnet, and plans to use Arc for USDC settlement and to operate a validator node once Arc goes live. "Visa is expanding stablecoin settlement because our banking partners are not only asking about it - they're preparing to use it," said Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships, Visa.
The company said its monthly stablecoin settlement volume passed a $3.5 billion annualized run rate as of November 30. Visa first experimented with USDC settlement in 2021. "Bringing USDC settlement to the U.S. with Visa is a milestone for internet native money moving at the speed of software," said Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Circle.
Visa said it is onboarding select U.S. partners now and expects broader access through 2026, and that Visa Consulting & Analytics has launched a Stablecoins Advisory Practice to provide education and implementation guidance to clients.
The Recap
- Visa launches USDC settlement for U.S. issuers and acquirers.
- Initial banks Cross River and Lead Bank on Solana.
- Broader availability in the U.S. is planned through 2026.
