How can a credit card payment happen instantly, even on weekends? Visa thinks it has found the answer through blockchain technology and digital dollars called USDC stablecoins.
On December 16, 2025, Visa launched something that could change how card payments work in America. The company now lets banks settle their obligations using USDC, a digital version of the US dollar that lives on the blockchain. Think of it like having digital cash that moves as fast as sending a text message.
This partnership with Circle’s USDC operates on the Solana blockchain, which processes transactions much faster than traditional banking systems. When you swipe your card at a coffee shop, the money movement between banks usually takes days and stops on weekends. With USDC settlement, that process could happen in minutes, any day of the week.
Two banks are testing this system first: Cross River Bank and Lead Bank. They’re like the brave volunteers who try a new roller coaster before everyone else gets to ride. These banks can now move money between each other using digital dollars instead of waiting for old-fashioned wire transfers.
The numbers behind this launch are impressive. Visa already handles more than $3.5 billion in stablecoin settlements annually, showing this isn’t just an experiment anymore. The company plans to expand this service across more US banks throughout 2026. This shift represents banks moving from experimental blockchain use to practical infrastructure.
Here’s the cool part: your card experience stays exactly the same. You still tap, swipe, or insert your card like always. The blockchain magic happens behind the scenes, making everything faster and more efficient for banks.
The GENIUS Act, which became law in July 2025, helped make this possible by creating clear rules for how stablecoins can work in the financial system. This gave companies like Visa the green light to build these new payment highways. This innovation reduces the borrowing costs that banks typically face when managing daily settlement obligations between financial institutions.
While this technology currently works in only a few states, it represents a major step toward bringing blockchain benefits to everyday payments. Soon, instant settlement might become as normal as contactless payments are today. Visa is also acting as a design partner for Arc, Circle’s new blockchain specifically built to handle the massive scale of global payment processing.
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