Visa Guides Banks and Fintechs Into Stablecoins as Payments Enter a New Stage

Visa’s decision to launch a dedicated Stablecoins Advisory Practice marks an important moment for the global payments industry. For years, stablecoins were viewed mainly as tools used inside the crypto ecosystem. Today, that view is changing. Banks, fintech companies, and large businesses are increasingly exploring stablecoins as practical ways to move money, manage liquidity, and settle payments across borders.

By creating a formal advisory service, Visa is acknowledging that stablecoins are no longer experimental. Instead of asking whether stablecoins will be used, many institutions are now asking how to use them safely and effectively. Visa’s move is designed to help answer those questions.

Stablecoins are digital assets designed to maintain a stable value, usually by being tied to a currency like the US dollar. Over time, they have grown from a niche idea into a market worth more than $300 billion. At this scale, stablecoins are interacting with real economic activity, including international trade, remittances, and corporate finance.

Visa’s own experience supports this shift. The company has reported that stablecoin settlement activity on its network is now running at an annual pace of about $3.5 billion. While that number is small compared to Visa’s overall volume, it shows that businesses are already using stablecoins for real transactions, not just testing them in controlled environments.

As interest grows, many organizations face a common problem. They see potential benefits, such as faster settlement and lower costs, but they lack clear guidance on regulation, technology, and risk. Visa’s advisory practice is meant to fill that gap.

What Visa’s Stablecoin Advisory Service Does

The new stablecoin advisory operates within Visa Consulting & Analytics, a division that already helps financial institutions modernize their payment systems. The stablecoin-focused service is designed to guide banks, fintechs, and enterprises through the decision-making process.

In simple terms, Visa helps organizations understand whether stablecoins make sense for their needs and, if they do, how to integrate them responsibly. This includes explaining how stablecoins can support cross-border payments, how they connect with existing card and banking systems, and how current regulations may affect their use. Importantly, Visa is not targeting crypto traders. The focus is on institutions that want to use stablecoins as payment tools or treasury assets, not as speculative investments.

Visa’s advisory launch builds on several years of behind-the-scenes work. The company has already tested stablecoin settlement using USDC, showing that blockchain-based payments can work alongside traditional systems. It has also supported more than a hundred stablecoin-linked card programs across many countries, allowing users to spend stablecoins through familiar payment methods.

In addition, Visa Direct pilots have enabled certain businesses to fund cross-border payouts using stablecoins and send money directly to digital wallets. These projects gave Visa hands-on experience with compliance, liquidity management, and operational risks. The advisory service brings these lessons together in a structured offering.

The push toward stablecoins is not happening in isolation. Fintech companies are already using them to move money quickly across borders. Large companies are exploring stablecoins to manage dollar liquidity outside traditional banking hours. At the same time, regulations around stablecoins are becoming clearer in several major markets.

For banks, staying away from stablecoins now carries its own risks. If customers begin using alternative payment rails, banks could lose relevance in parts of the payment process. Visa’s advisory service arrives at a time when many institutions are trying to decide whether stablecoins are a threat or a useful tool. Visa’s position suggests they should be treated as a tool, but only when used carefully.

Visa’s approach shows that stablecoins are being absorbed into the existing financial system rather than replacing it. Card networks, banks, and blockchain platforms are starting to work together. By offering guidance instead of issuing its own stablecoin, Visa remains a neutral infrastructure provider while shaping how adoption happens.

This strategy reflects Visa’s history. In earlier shifts, such as the rise of online and mobile payments, Visa supported new technologies while maintaining its central role. Stablecoins appear to be following a similar path.

Visa’s move shows that stablecoins are no longer on the edge of finance. By offering guidance instead of hype, Visa is helping institutions approach blockchain-based payments in a careful, practical way that fits within existing financial systems.

As stablecoins become part of mainstream payment infrastructure, will banks and businesses adapt early, or wait until customers and competitors force the change?