Stablecoin News – On March 3, 2026 Visa and Bridge, a leading stablecoin infrastructure platform owned by Stripe, announced a major expansion of their partnership to bring stablecoin-backed Visa cards to more than 100 countries. The collaboration builds on an earlier 2025 pilot focused on Latin America and aims to accelerate global adoption of stablecoins for everyday spending.
Through the expanded program, fintechs, developers, and businesses can issue Visa cards linked directly to users’ stablecoin balances. Cardholders will be able to spend stablecoins at any of Visa’s 175 million merchant locations worldwide, with transactions settled on-chain where possible.
Bridge’s technology, combined with Lead Bank’s participation in Visa’s settlement pilot, enables seamless conversion and settlement.The initiative is currently live in 18 countries and will roll out across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East by the end of 2026.
This move addresses strong demand in emerging markets where users seek dollar stability combined with the global acceptance of traditional cards.Visa executives highlighted the programmability and speed of stablecoins as key advantages for modern commerce.
Bridge CEO Zach Abrams noted that the partnership allows businesses launching custom stablecoins to integrate them directly into card programs via a single API.
The development reflects Visa’s strategy to bridge traditional payment networks with blockchain rails, offering faster settlement, greater transparency, and new opportunities for financial inclusion. As stablecoin market capitalization continues to grow, such partnerships are expected to play a pivotal role in mainstream adoption.
