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Visa is widening its stablecoin footprint across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and has teamed up with African crypto exchange Yellow Card to explore new cross-border payment options.
The global payments giant, which already processes stablecoin settlements in USDC, said the move is part of a broader strategy to integrate blockchain-based payment rails into traditional finance.
“In 2025, we believe that every institution that moves money will need a stablecoin strategy,” said Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s head of product and solutions for the region.
The partnership with Yellow Card will focus on faster international payments, smoother treasury operations, and improved liquidity management — especially in emerging markets where access to stable, cross-border cash flow is often limited.
Visa’s latest push follows its May investment in stablecoin payment platform BVNK, signaling continued interest in crypto-native infrastructure. Since it began settling with USDC in 2023, Visa says it has processed more than $225 million in stablecoin volume.
“Together with Visa, we’re building a bridge between traditional finance and the future of money movement,” said Chris Maurice, CEO of Yellow Card. “The goal is simple: make payments more efficient, more secure, and more transparent.”
Yellow Card, which operates in over 20 African countries, will use the partnership to scale crypto-based financial tools that plug into Visa’s network — giving local businesses and fintechs faster access to dollar-equivalent payments without relying on banks.
Visa hasn’t yet named which stablecoins it may expand to next, but the focus remains on increasing adoption where traditional banking rails are slow, expensive, or unreliable.
The payments giant has been quietly building crypto capabilities across several fronts. Most visibly, Visa has partnered with platforms such as Crypto.com, Coinbase, and Binance to issue crypto debit and credit cards, allowing users to spend digital assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum at any merchant that accepts Visa. The cards automatically convert crypto to fiat currency at the point of sale.
Visa has also developed a set of crypto APIs, allowing banks and fintechs to offer services like crypto purchases, custodial wallets, and fiat-to-crypto onramps. This “Crypto-as-a-Service” approach helps traditional financial institutions enter the space without building blockchain expertise in-house.
