Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) announced the launch of USDC settlement in the United States, marking a key milestone in the company’s stablecoin settlement pilot program and strategy to “modernize its settlement layer underpinning commerce.” Now, U.S. issuer and acquirer partners can settle with Visa in Circle’s USDC, “a fully reserved, dollar-denominated stablecoin.”
With USDC settlement, issuers can benefit “from faster funds movement over blockchains, seven‑day availability and enhanced operational resilience across weekends and holidays – without any change to the consumer card experience.”
Initial banking participants include Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, which have started “settling with Visa in USDC over the Solana blockchain. Broader availability in the U.S. is planned through 2026.”
Additionally, Visa is a design partner for Arc, “a new Layer 1 blockchain developed by Circle (currently in public testnet).”
Arc’s purpose-built design offers the “performance and scalability needed to help support Visa’s global commercial activity onchain.”
Visa also plans to utilize Arc for USDC settlement “within its network and to operate a validator node once Arc goes live.”
Visa’s U.S. stablecoin settlement framework includes:
- 7-day settlement windows: improving speed and liquidity for banks and fintechs to settle seven days a week instead of the traditional five-business day window
- Modernized liquidity and treasury management: enabling automated, next‑generation treasury operations for bank participants
- Interoperability: bridging traditional payment rails with blockchain‑based infrastructure
- Expanding a proven foundation of stablecoin innovation
The introduction of stablecoin settlement in the U.S. continues “to build on years of Visa’s active stablecoin settlement pilots across the globe including in several countries within LAC, Europe, AP and CEMEA.”
As of November 30, Visa’s monthly stablecoin settlement volume “passed a $3.5 billion annualized run rate – a significant milestone since Visa became one of the first major networks to settle transactions in a stablecoin in 2023.”
And in July, Visa announced added support for “more blockchains and stablecoins in its stablecoin settlement pilot to give partners more flexibility in how they settle VisaNet obligations.”
Visa first experimented with USDC settlement in 2021.
Circle, the company behind USDC, emphasized the “importance of integrating fully-reserved stablecoins into institutional settlement flows.”
Early banking partners underscore the benefits of “API‑driven settlement experiences. ”
Lead Bank, a technology‑forward community bank working with fintech partners, noted that “seven-day settlements and clearer liquidity timing are becoming increasingly important for its clients.”
Cross River Bank, an infrastructure provider that offers embedded financial solutions, reinforces the “importance of true interoperability.”
To help FIs navigate this evolving space, Visa Consulting & Analytics launched its Stablecoins Advisory Practice, offering “education and guidance on market fit and implementation.”