Visa Expands Stablecoin Initiatives in CEMEA

Visa has taken a significant leap in its stablecoin expansion strategy, particularly in the CEMEA region. With the latest developments, the company is doubling down on blockchain-based payment solutions. This Visa stablecoin expansion includes integrating USDC through Circle across Solana and Ethereum networks—positioning Visa as a frontrunner in modernizing global money movement.

With the payments landscape more dynamic and competitive than ever, stablecoins are emerging as one of the most promising tools for faster and more accessible digital payments.

Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Head of Product and Solution for CEMEA, said, “In 2025, we believe that every institution that moves money will need a stablecoin strategy. As more players in the payments ecosystem explore this powerful new technology, Visa stands ready to help our partners navigate the transformation, bringing the scale, trust and innovation needed to help build the next generation of global payments.” The Visa stablecoin expansion isn’t just about speed—it’s a shift toward programmable finance, offering transparency and scalability.

Modernizing Settlement Infrastructure

Visa is expanding its stablecoin settlement solution to select issuers and acquirers in CEMEA, enabling USD cross-border transactions through blockchain technology. This initiative helps reduce settlement costs, enhances liquidity management, and can support 365-day settlements, including weekends and holidays. In 2023, Visa became one of the first major payments networks to settle transactions in stablecoin when it piloted enabling clients to fulfill their settlement obligations in USDC. To date, over $225 million in stablecoin volume has been settled through Visa across participating clients. This Visa stablecoin expansion is designed to reduce friction in cross-border transactions, allowing users and merchants in CEMEA to experience near-instant settlement.

Enhancing Cross-Border Money Movement

Visa is partnering with Yellow Card, a leading pan-African fintech, to explore stablecoin use cases and opportunities across markets where Yellow Card is licensed to operate to help streamline treasury operations and enhance liquidity management. The partnership is intended to test integration opportunities with Visa Direct to further investigate and expand cross-border payment options. As one of the world’s largest digital payments networks, Visa Direct enables secure and seamless funds delivery across more than 190 countries and territories.

Chris Maurice, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow Card, said, “Together with Visa, we’re building a bridge between traditional finance and the future of money movement. We look forward to continuing to innovate new solutions that can transform how money moves for even more secure, efficient, and transparent payment solutions.” The Visa stablecoin expansion is more than a regional experiment—it’s a global signal of traditional finance embracing digital currencies.