Recently, global payment giant Visa announced the launch of an innovative pilot project aimed at exploring the use of stablecoin technology to optimize cross-border payment processes. The core objective of this project is to provide businesses with a more efficient and convenient international remittance solution.

This pilot program allows corporate entities such as banks and remittance service providers to use stablecoins instead of traditional fiat currency for pre-funding the Visa Direct system. Visa views these stablecoins as balances available for payment, similar to bank deposits. This innovative mechanism is expected to significantly reduce the capital costs for businesses in cross-border payments, eliminating the need to lock up large amounts of cash several days in advance.

By introducing stablecoins, Visa aims to reduce the settlement cycle between businesses from the current several days to just a few minutes, significantly enhancing the liquidity of funds for enterprises. It is worth noting that, despite the payer using stablecoins, Visa still retains the option for the payee to receive payments in the local fiat currency to ensure flexibility.

Regarding the specific implementation details, Visa stated that it will jointly test this new model with specific partners and plans to conduct a limited rollout before April 2026. Although Visa has not publicly disclosed the list of partners, it has confirmed that the first pilot will use USDC and EURC stablecoins issued by Circle. As market demand grows, the range of supported stablecoin assets may expand in the future.

This initiative reflects the traditional financial giants actively embracing blockchain technology, particularly in the realm of cross-border payments. By leveraging the advantages of stablecoins, Visa aims to provide global enterprises with more efficient and cost-effective international payment services, further consolidating its leadership position in the payment industry. At the same time, this also opens up new possibilities for the application of stablecoins in real business scenarios, signaling that the integration of digital assets and the traditional financial system is accelerating.