Visa and Bridge Plan Stablecoin Card Push in 100+ Countries

Visa and Bridge, the stablecoin platform owned by Stripe, announced on Tuesday a sweeping global rollout of their stablecoin-linked card issuance product to more than 100 countries by end of year.

Stablecoin-Linked Cards Go Live in 18 Markets

Bridge-enabled stablecoin-linked cards are now live in 18 countries, with crypto platforms such as Phantom and MetaMask already onboarded, according to a joint announcement. The product originally debuted last year with a focus on Central and South American markets, and it has since grown significantly in scope.

The planned expansion covers Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, the companies confirmed on Tuesday. Lead Bank, which was previously named as a participant in the Visa stablecoin settlement pilot earlier this year, is also now integrating Bridge's stablecoin infrastructure to broaden its payment capabilities.

What Does This Mean for Global Payments?

Visa's head of crypto Cuy Sheffield framed the expanded collaboration as a step toward embedding stablecoins deeper into mainstream payment flows.

Sheffield added that the milestone gives partners greater choice in how they move value and reinforces the network's position as a trusted bridge between stablecoins and the worldwide payments ecosystem, according to a statement.

Expanding our work with Bridge gives us one more way to bring the speed, transparency and programmability of stablecoins directly into the settlement process. This milestone gives our partners greater choice in how they move value, and it reinforces Visa's role as a trusted network connecting stablecoins and the global payments ecosystem.

— Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto at Visa

Industry Race to Adopt Stablecoins

Stablecoins are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of global payments because they offer faster and cheaper alternatives to legacy channels for remittances, payroll, and cross-border commerce. Stripe is pushing aggressively into the space after completing its $1.1 billion Stripe Bridge acquisition in 2024, while PayPal has introduced its own stablecoin offering.

Visa has also built a separate platform designed to help banks issue their own stablecoins and tokenized assets, signaling the payments giant's broad commitment to digital asset infrastructure.

What This Means Going Forward

The Visa and Bridge partnership is poised to reshape how businesses interact with stablecoins at scale. Bridge cofounder Zach Abrams said the Visa stablecoin card expansion will let companies creating their own custom stablecoins use them seamlessly within their card programs.

With stablecoin-linked cards already active in 18 markets and a roadmap to surpass 100 nations by end of 2026, this initiative could set a new standard for merging blockchain-based payments with traditional card infrastructure.