Visa Pilots USDC Payouts, Bringing Instant Global Payments to Freelancers and Creators

Visa has introduced a new pilot that allows businesses to send USD-backed stablecoins directly to recipients’ wallets via Visa Direct, marking a major expansion in its digital payments innovation. Unveiled at Web Summit, the pilot enables companies to fund transactions in fiat while recipients receive payouts in stablecoins such as USDC.

The programme targets freelancers, creators and gig workers, especially those in countries facing banking limitations or currency instability. It follows research from the Visa 2025 Creator Economy Report, which found that 57% of creators cite instant access as their key reason for preferring digital payment systems.  

Chris Newkirk from Visa described the initiative as a step towards providing “truly universal access to money in minutes – not days – for anyone”.

Stablecoins offer rapid, low-cost international transfers. Traditional transfers can take days and incur fees between US$5 (AU$7.65) and US$10 (AU$15.30), while stablecoin transfers generally cost under US$0.05 (AU$0.08) and are completed within seconds. These payments also create immutable transaction records on the blockchain, strengthening audit and compliance processes.

Related: Stablecoins Overtake Visa and Mastercard on-Chain, Becoming the Internet’s Default Settlement Layer

Expanding Visa’s Partnerships and Reach

Visa’s latest pilot builds upon its September initiative allowing businesses to pre-fund Visa Direct payouts with stablecoins. Both efforts form part of the company’s broader push to merge blockchain technology with its established global payments infrastructure.

Initially launching with select partners, the pilot will expand globally in 2026 as regulations evolve. The move follows Visa’s strategic investment in BVNK, a stablecoin payment provider processing more than US$12 billion (AU$18.36 billion) annually.

Through this initiative, Visa continues to strengthen its role in digital finance by offering creators and freelancers faster, transparent, and borderless payment solutions.

Related: Pompliano: Crypto Will Disappear Not by Collapse — but by Complete Integration