Visa and Bridge expand stablecoin-linked Visa card program to 100+ countries

Visa and Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure firm acquired by Stripe, are significantly expanding their stablecoin-backed payment card program to over 100 countries by year-end. Launched in 2025 across 18 markets, this partnership allows fintechs and businesses to issue Visa cards that draw from stablecoin balances, usable at 175 million merchant locations worldwide, with integrations already active for crypto wallets like Phantom and MetaMask. A key part of the expansion is a pilot program testing on-chain settlement using stablecoins, bypassing traditional payment rails through Bridge's partnership with Lead Bank. This pilot aims to assess efficiency gains, while Visa explores using Bridge-issued assets as future settlement options across its network.

(Source：Crypto Briefing)