Visa is significantly expanding its global stablecoin settlement pilot by adding five new blockchain networks, bringing the total number of supported chains to nine. The payments company revealed that the initiative has now achieved an annualized settlement run rate of approximately $7 billion, representing a 50% increase compared to the previous quarter.
The newly added blockchain networks include Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon, and Tempo. These platforms will join Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Stellar, which were already integrated into the pilot program.
The expansion reflects Visa’s broader strategy to create a multi-chain settlement framework that enables issuing and acquiring partners to select blockchain networks according to their operational needs. The company is positioning itself as a unified settlement layer capable of connecting multiple blockchain ecosystems while simplifying stablecoin-based transactions for financial institutions and payment providers.
Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships, explained that the decision was influenced by the growing adoption of multi-chain infrastructure among the company’s partners. He indicated that businesses increasingly operate across different blockchain environments and expect settlement options that align with that reality. He also stated that expanding the pilot would allow partners to choose networks best suited to their requirements while continuing to rely on Visa for settlement support across all chains.
New Networks Target Different Market Segments
Each blockchain added to the pilot serves a distinct role within the digital payments ecosystem. Arc, developed by Circle, operates as an open Layer-1 blockchain focused on linking programmable money with real-world economic activity. Base, supported by Coinbase, is designed to deliver high-speed and low-cost settlement capabilities.
Canton has been built with configurable privacy features aimed at regulated financial institutions and capital markets. Polygon concentrates on high-throughput infrastructure intended for payments and digital commerce applications, while Tempo focuses on facilitating real-time stablecoin settlement and liquidity transfers.
Visa’s expansion to nine blockchain networks marks a major step toward building a global multi-chain settlement infrastructure for stablecoin payments.
Over the past several years, Visa has gradually expanded its stablecoin settlement initiatives through pilot programs and regional deployments across Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company has also broadened support for USDC settlement services among US banks.
According to Visa, more than 130 card programs linked to stablecoins are now operating across over 50 countries. The rapid increase in transaction volume suggests that financial institutions, fintech firms, and payment providers are becoming more comfortable integrating blockchain-based settlement systems alongside traditional payment infrastructure.
Industry Leaders Highlight Mainstream Adoption
Jesse Pollak, founder of Base, reportedly described Visa’s latest expansion as an important milestone for bringing stablecoin payments into everyday financial activity. He suggested that the collaboration could help create a faster, more affordable, and more practical global payment system for billions of users.
Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Circle, stated that the partnership reflects rising demand for stablecoins such as USDC, along with blockchain infrastructure capable of supporting instant payment settlement and programmable commerce applications.
The initiative demonstrates growing institutional confidence in blockchain-based settlement systems and stablecoin-powered financial infrastructure.
Eric Saraniecki, Head of Network Strategy at Digital Asset and co-founder of the Canton Network, emphasized the importance of compliance for regulated institutions. He explained that Canton was specifically designed to meet strict regulatory and operational requirements while enabling institutions to explore on-chain settlement solutions in a compliant manner.
Meanwhile, Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron reportedly said the collaboration indicated that stablecoins are moving into practical, large-scale payment use cases. He added that combining Visa’s international payment network with Polygon’s efficient infrastructure could make stablecoin settlement more reliable, accessible, and scalable for global partners.
By integrating multiple blockchain ecosystems into a unified settlement framework, Visa is accelerating the adoption of stablecoins in mainstream global payments.
