BLOGSIA.EU.ORG - Visa announced it will begin testing new ways for businesses to fund international payments, including allowing the use of stablecoins instead of requiring upfront cash deposits in local accounts.
The move, reported by Channel News Asia on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, signals growing acceptance of digital tokens among major corporations. Momentum has increased since the United States passed the Genius Act, a law that sets clear rules for stablecoin issuers.
“The Genius Act changes everything. It makes things much more legitimate. Before that regulatory clarity, most major institutions were on the fence,” said Mark Nelsen, Head of Product for Visa’s Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, in an interview with Reuters.
Visa is working with unnamed partners and plans to expand the pilot program next year, Nelsen added. The initiative would allow banks, remittance companies, and other financial institutions to fund accounts with stablecoins instead of traditional currencies.
Such a shift could accelerate cross-border transactions and free up cash, as businesses often have to lock money in multiple currencies around the world to cover local payments. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to keep their value constant, usually backed by traditional assets such as U.S. dollars or government bonds.
The move, reported by Channel News Asia on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, signals growing acceptance of digital tokens among major corporations. Momentum has increased since the United States passed the Genius Act, a law that sets clear rules for stablecoin issuers.
“The Genius Act changes everything. It makes things much more legitimate. Before that regulatory clarity, most major institutions were on the fence,” said Mark Nelsen, Head of Product for Visa’s Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, in an interview with Reuters.
Visa is working with unnamed partners and plans to expand the pilot program next year, Nelsen added. The initiative would allow banks, remittance companies, and other financial institutions to fund accounts with stablecoins instead of traditional currencies.
Such a shift could accelerate cross-border transactions and free up cash, as businesses often have to lock money in multiple currencies around the world to cover local payments. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to keep their value constant, usually backed by traditional assets such as U.S. dollars or government bonds.
Their efficiency in moving money across borders has raised concerns that stablecoins could erode the market dominance of some payment companies and regional banks.
“Stablecoins are moving from a crypto gimmick to a financial tool. That’s one of the reasons we launched an inverse regional bank ETF, because I think regional banks are in trouble,” said Matthew Tuttle, CEO of Tuttle Capital Management, referring to a fund designed to profit when regional bank shares decline.
Still, Visa’s pilot program highlights how established firms are focusing on collaboration rather than competition, turning stablecoins into a tool to strengthen existing infrastructure.
“The amount of software and technology already deployed globally for payments is hard to replicate. So, it seems more likely that stablecoin technology will be integrated into existing flows,” Nelsen said.
Visa’s decision to experiment with stablecoins underscores a growing trend in the financial industry: digital tokens are no longer seen only as speculative assets but increasingly as practical instruments for speeding up global commerce. The success of this pilot could pave the way for broader adoption of stablecoin payments in international transactions.
“Stablecoins are moving from a crypto gimmick to a financial tool. That’s one of the reasons we launched an inverse regional bank ETF, because I think regional banks are in trouble,” said Matthew Tuttle, CEO of Tuttle Capital Management, referring to a fund designed to profit when regional bank shares decline.
Still, Visa’s pilot program highlights how established firms are focusing on collaboration rather than competition, turning stablecoins into a tool to strengthen existing infrastructure.
“The amount of software and technology already deployed globally for payments is hard to replicate. So, it seems more likely that stablecoin technology will be integrated into existing flows,” Nelsen said.
Visa’s decision to experiment with stablecoins underscores a growing trend in the financial industry: digital tokens are no longer seen only as speculative assets but increasingly as practical instruments for speeding up global commerce. The success of this pilot could pave the way for broader adoption of stablecoin payments in international transactions.
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