Visa brings USDC settlement to U.S. banks after $3.5 billion stablecoin pilot

Visa is expanding its stablecoin settlement program to the United States, allowing issuer and acquirer partners to settle obligations to the card network using Circle's USDC stablecoin. This U.S. phase follows a pilot program that reached a $3.5 billion annualized run rate as of November 30. The new option, which utilizes the Solana blockchain for initial participants like Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, aims to provide banks and fintechs with near-instant, seven-day-a-week settlement and improved liquidity management, all while keeping the consumer card experience unchanged. Visa plans to extend access to more U.S. partners through 2026 and is also deepening its collaboration with Circle by serving as a lead design partner for Circle’s upcoming Arc blockchain.

(Source：CoinDesk)