Visa launches pilot program for stablecoin cross-border payments

Global payments giant Visa has launched a pilot program to introduce stablecoin options for cross-border payments on its Visa Direct platform, Cointelegraph reported. The program aims to replace the large amounts of pre-funded cash that banks and corporations traditionally hold as collateral for such transactions with stablecoins. The pilot will support USDC and EURC. Visa explained that this approach could significantly reduce transfer times and lower costs, including fees. The company is currently testing the system in a limited environment with a small number of partners and plans to commercialize the service around April 2026.