- Visa announced the launch of USDC settlement capabilities for U.S. issuer and acquirer
partners on December 16, 2025. - Initial participants include Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, with settlements occurring over the Solana blockchain.
- The expansion follows a pilot program that achieved over $3.5 billion in annualized stablecoin settlement volume as of November 30, 2025.
- Visa plans a broader rollout throughout 2026 and will support Circle’s upcoming Arc blockchain as a design partner.
Visa has officially extended its stablecoin settlement program to the United States, allowing select financial institutions to settle transactions using Circle’s USDC stablecoin on the Solana blockchain. This move, announced on December 16, 2025, marks a significant step in integrating blockchain technology into traditional payment systems. The initiative is supported by recent regulatory clarity, including a federal stablecoin framework signed into law in July 2025.
Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are the first participants in the U.S. program. These banks can now handle back-end settlements with Visa using USDC, enabling faster and more efficient treasury operations. According to Visa, this provides 24/7 settlement capabilities, automated processes, and improved liquidity management for institutions.
The program builds on Visa’s global stablecoin pilots, which began in 2023 and have processed over $3.5 billion in annualized volume as of November 30, 2025 (Visa). Visa emphasized that the expansion responds to demand from banking partners seeking programmable money solutions while maintaining compliance and security standards.
Visa is also collaborating with Circle on its new Arc Layer 1 blockchain, where it will serve as a design partner and operate a validator node upon launch. This partnership aims to further enhance stablecoin infrastructure for institutional use. Circle’s USDC, a fully reserved dollar-pegged stablecoin, is central to the settlements.
In a statement, Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s global head of growth products and strategic partnerships, said: “Visa is expanding stablecoin settlement because our banking partners are not only asking about it—they’re preparing to use it”.
Gilles Gade, founder, president, and CEO of Cross River Bank, added: “Fintech and crypto innovators increasingly ask us to bring stablecoins into their existing product suite. A unified platform that natively supports both stablecoins and traditional payment networks is the foundation for how value will move globally”.
While the rollout promises efficiency gains, analysts note potential risks, including blockchain volatility and regulatory scrutiny. Solana, the underlying network, has experienced outages in the past, though recent upgrades aim to address reliability concerns.
Circle co-founder Jeremy Allaire highlighted the development on X, calling it “a powerful milestone in the mainstream adoption and acceptance of USDC” (@jerallaire).
The expansion could accelerate stablecoin adoption in core financial services, but institutions should weigh integration costs and compliance requirements. For more on this development, see the related article on Cryptopress.site.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice of any kind. Readers should conduct their own research before making any decisions.
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