Visa has unveiled a new pilot program that brings stablecoin payments directly to the wallets of creators and gig workers, a major step toward merging traditional finance with Web3 infrastructure. The initiative, launched through the Visa Direct platform, allows businesses and digital platforms to send instant stablecoin payouts to eligible recipients, removing many of the frictions tied to cross-border transactions and delayed banking settlements.
The pilot’s primary focus is speed and accessibility. By replacing legacy payment rails with Visa Direct’s blockchain-enabled infrastructure, creators and gig workers can now receive funds in near real time, a sharp contrast to traditional wire or ACH systems that often take days to process.
The stablecoin integration also addresses one of the biggest challenges for freelancers working across borders: limited access to U.S. dollar accounts. By sending USD-backed digital assets, Visa offers these users a borderless payout method that maintains the stability of fiat while leveraging blockchain efficiency.
How the Pilot Works
Businesses participating in the pilot fund payouts in traditional fiat currency. Visa then converts those funds into stablecoins such as USDC and transfers them to the recipient’s digital wallet. Recipients can then choose to keep their funds in stablecoins, spend them directly, or convert them into local currency.
The model represents a new layer of interoperability between traditional finance and crypto ecosystems, combining Visa’s global payment infrastructure with blockchain-based settlement efficiency.
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Expansion Plans and Future Vision
Visa confirmed that the pilot is currently active with select partners in the United States, with a broader rollout scheduled for the second half of 2026. The company plans to expand the service as global stablecoin regulations become clearer and enterprise adoption rises.
This project builds on Visa’s earlier September 2025 announcement, which allowed businesses to pre-fund Visa Direct operations using stablecoins. However, unlike that back-end treasury integration, the new initiative focuses directly on end users, enabling digital dollar payouts straight into creators’ wallets.
Financial Inclusion Through Stable Digital Payments
By removing intermediaries and traditional banking dependencies, Visa’s latest pilot could reshape how earnings are distributed in the digital economy. It bridges one of the most persistent gaps in global finance, giving creators, freelancers, and small business operators instant access to stable digital funds without relying on local banking infrastructure.
As Visa’s head of crypto initiatives reportedly stated at Web Summit, this pilot represents "a milestone in the evolution of digital payments, where global commerce meets programmable money."