Visa Integrates BVNK for Stablecoin Payouts; Targeting $30B in Annual Flows

Visa Direct Taps Stablecoin Rails

Visa has officially integrated its Visa Direct network with stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK, enabling businesses to automate payouts directly to digital wallets. The partnership, announced today, allows Visa’s institutional clients to bypass traditional banking hours by using stablecoins for near-instant settlement.

The move connects Visa’s $1.7 trillion money movement network with BVNK’s rails, which currently process over $30 billion annually in stablecoin volume. Under the new model, businesses can pre-fund accounts with stablecoins, which are then disbursed to beneficiaries’ wallets in select markets.

We’re experiencing a once-in-a-generation shift to a new foundational payment technology, powered by stablecoins, Jesse Hemson-Struthers, BVNK CEO

Institutional Context: The Banking Pivot

This integration is the operational climax of a capital strategy executed throughout 2025. Visa Ventures invested in BVNK in May 2025, securing an early stake in the infrastructure play. Citigroup followed suit five months later in October 2025, signaling a rare consensus among traditional finance giants: stablecoins are no longer just assets, but settlement layers.

While the initial rollout is limited to a pilot group, a broader expansion is scheduled for the second half of 2026. The focus is strictly B2B and gig-economy payouts, sectors where cross-border friction costs merchants up to 6% in fees.

Market Reaction

Despite the structural advance in crypto capabilities, Visa stock ($V) traded down 4.7% to $328 on Tuesday. The slide was driven by unrelated legislative pressure on credit card swipe fees, overshadowing the operational efficiency gains from the BVNK integration. The divergence highlights a market currently more fixated on regulatory margins than technological upgrades.