BVNK, a global provider of stablecoin payment infrastructure, has entered a strategic partnership with Visa to support stablecoin-based pilot programs on Visa Direct, Visa’s real-time money movement network. Under the collaboration, BVNK will provide the underlying infrastructure enabling select Visa Direct customers to pre-fund payouts using stablecoins and deliver funds directly to recipients in digital dollars.
The integration allows businesses in approved markets to move funds without relying solely on traditional fiat settlement rails. Stablecoin payouts can be delivered directly into recipients’ digital wallets, offering expanded options for cross-border and off-hours payments. Visa Direct processes approximately $1.7 trillion in annual volume, positioning the pilot as a meaningful institutional test of stablecoins at scale.
Expanding Visa Direct’s Payment Capabilities
Visa has steadily increased its exposure to blockchain-based payment infrastructure as part of a broader strategy to modernize money movement. The partnership with BVNK builds on Visa Ventures’ investment in the company in May 2025 and reflects Visa’s interest in using stablecoins to address settlement speed, liquidity management, and global accessibility.
BVNK processes more than $30 billion in annual stablecoin transactions and specializes in enterprise-grade compliance, treasury management, and onchain settlement. By integrating BVNK’s technology, Visa Direct can offer clients the ability to fund payouts outside of traditional banking hours, including weekends and holidays, while maintaining oversight and operational controls expected by institutional users.
Institutional and Competitive Context
The partnership comes as global payment networks, banks, and fintech firms increasingly explore stablecoins as a complement to existing payment rails. Stablecoins are gaining traction for cross-border payouts, remittances, and treasury operations due to their near-instant settlement and reduced dependency on correspondent banking networks.
Visa’s move positions it alongside competitors testing similar capabilities, as payment providers seek to capture demand from global platforms, marketplaces, and financial institutions operating across multiple jurisdictions. The pilot approach reflects a measured rollout, focusing first on markets with demonstrated demand for digital asset payments before expanding more broadly.
From a macro perspective, the collaboration aligns with growing regulatory clarity around stablecoins in key jurisdictions, enabling large payment networks to experiment within defined compliance frameworks. While stablecoins remain a small share of global payment volumes, institutional pilots such as this signal a shift from exploratory testing toward practical integration within established financial infrastructure.
The rollout is expected to proceed gradually, with expansion determined by customer demand, regulatory conditions, and operational performance. For Visa and BVNK, the partnership represents a step toward embedding stablecoins into mainstream money movement rather than positioning them as a parallel system.