- USDC settlement allows U.S. banks faster, seven-day fund transfers while maintaining secure card experiences.
- Early adopters Cross River and Lead Bank highlight improved treasury operations and real-time liquidity management.
- Visa partners with Circle’s Arc blockchain to scale global transactions and support onchain commercial activity.
Visa has officially enabled U.S. banks to settle payments using Circle’s USDC stablecoin on the Solana blockchain, marking a major step in modernizing global payment systems. The initiative allows issuers and acquirers to move funds faster, access seven-day settlement windows, and strengthen operational resilience—even during weekends and holidays.
Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s Global Head of Growth Products, explained, “Financial institutions are looking for faster, programmable settlement options that integrate seamlessly with their existing treasury operations.”
As per the announcement, this launch begins with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, which have already started settling payments with Visa using USDC. Broader U.S. availability is expected through 2026. The integration ensures consumers experience no change in their card usage, while banks and fintechs benefit from automated, efficient treasury operations.
Additionally, Visa acts as a design partner for Arc, Circle’s new Layer 1 blockchain currently in public testnet. Arc promises performance and scalability needed to support Visa’s global commercial activity on-chain. Visa also plans to operate a validator node when Arc officially goes live.
Streamlining Banking Operations with Blockchain
Visa’s U.S. stablecoin settlement framework offers banks seven-day settlement capabilities, modernized liquidity management, and seamless interoperability between traditional payment rails and blockchain infrastructure.
This move builds on Visa’s extensive stablecoin pilots globally, including regions in LAC, Europe, AP, and CEMEA. By November 30, Visa reported an annualized $3.5 billion monthly stablecoin settlement volume, reflecting significant adoption since its 2023 stablecoin pilot launch.
Circle emphasized the importance of fully-reserved stablecoins for institutional settlement. Nikhil Chandhok, Circle’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, said, “Bringing USDC settlement to the U.S. with Visa is a milestone for internet native money moving at the speed of software.” Early banking partners highlight the benefits. Lead Bank noted faster settlements and improved liquidity timing.
CEO Jackie Reses said, “This capability brings speed and precision to treasury operations and helps us deliver modern financial services.” Cross River Bank echoed the importance of interoperability, enabling fintechs to integrate stablecoins into existing products seamlessly.
