Visa Introduces Advisory on Stablecoins as Market Surpasses $300 Billion — Are Banks Following Suit?

Visa has introduced a new “Stablecoins Advisory Practice” as the stablecoin sector surpasses $300 billion, coinciding with banks and financial institutions increasing their involvement with digital currencies.

Visa has initiated a Stablecoins Advisory Practice aimed at assisting banks, fintech companies, and enterprises in formulating and executing stablecoin strategies. This service will facilitate applications such as cross-border and B2B payments, as Visa intensifies its focus on stablecoins. https://t.co/Mnn4CKwVUd

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 15, 2025

This initiative arises as conventional financial entities enhance their participation with stablecoins in light of clearer regulatory guidance in the United States.

Visa Collaborates With Initial Clients on Stablecoin Strategies

Carl Rutstein, the global head of Visa Consulting and Analytics, stated that the practice is intended to address increasing client demand rather than to promote adoption indiscriminately.

He mentioned that Visa is collaborating with numerous initial clients, including Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar Credit Union, and Pathward, and anticipates that this number will grow into the hundreds.

The advisory services encompass strategy formulation, technical infrastructure, operational preparedness, and implementation assistance, with some clients ultimately determining whether stablecoins meet actual customer requirements.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value, usually pegged to the U.S. dollar through reserves.

Once primarily limited to cryptocurrency trading, they are now being increasingly utilized for payments, cross-border transactions, and business-to-business settlements, especially in areas experiencing currency instability or limited access to traditional banking systems.

As per DefiLlama data, the global stablecoin market capitalization currently stands at $309.85 billion. Tether’s USDT continues to lead with a 60.10% market share and a market cap of $186.23 billion, followed by Circle’s USDC at $78.31 billion.

Source: DefiLlama

Other stablecoins, such as Ethena’s USDe, Sky Dollar, Dai, and PayPal USD, represent smaller yet expanding segments of the market, collectively indicating a broader diversity among issuers.

Visa Advances Stablecoins Further Into Global Payments

Visa’s recent action follows a series of stablecoin initiatives undertaken by the company over the past few years. In 2023, Visa tested USDC settlements on blockchain networks and currently supports over 130 stablecoin-linked card programs across 40 nations.

Visa has recently begun experimenting with a system that enables businesses to finance cross-border payments using stablecoins instead of pre-funding cash into local accounts.

Credit card giant @Visa has commenced testing stablecoin-enabled cross-border payments, representing a significant advancement in the acceptance of digital tokens among global financial entities. #Visa #Stablecoins https://t.co/bJwqFJe5tc

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) September 30, 2025

Visa has indicated that the program will expand in 2026, targeting banks, remittance companies, and financial institutions that currently depend on expensive correspondent banking networks.

This initiative has been bolstered by regulatory clarity in the United States following President Donald Trump’s signing of the GENIUS Act in July, which established formal regulations for stablecoin issuance.

Since then, various financial and payment firms have accelerated their stablecoin strategies.

PayPal and Mastercard have enhanced their digital dollar functionalities, while institutions like Citigroup, JPMorgan, and Standard Chartered continue to investigate tokenized settlement and on-chain liquidity solutions.

Global Stablecoin Adoption Grows as Banks and Card Networks Engage

Visa’s advisory launch also coincides with the global expansion of stablecoin adoption beyond the U.S. In Africa, Visa has teamed up with Yellow Card Financial to facilitate stablecoin payments across 20 nations, while Circle has collaborated with Onafriq to link stablecoins to numerous wallets and bank accounts.

@visa and @yellowcard_app have joined forces to broaden stablecoin-enabled payments throughout Africa. #stablecoin #Visa https://t.co/nB85xKKAXa

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) June 19, 2025

Mastercard has recently partnered with Chainlink to allow cardholders to make on-chain cryptocurrency purchases. Additionally, Sony Bank is set to introduce a regulated dollar-pegged stablecoin for transactions within its digital entertainment ecosystem.

@chainlink announces a groundbreaking partnership with @Mastercard enabling over 3 billion cardholders to purchase cryptocurrency on-chain through seamless fiat-to-crypto conversion, removing complex barriers. #Chainlink #Mastercard #Crypto https://t.co/SSrILSQ5Tf

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) June 24, 2025

Institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, McKinsey, Anchorage Digital, and GFT Technologies are already providing advisory, research, or infrastructure services related to stablecoins.

Visa executives have consistently positioned stablecoins not as a challenge to existing payment systems, but as an extension of them.

Earlier this year, Visa’s head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield, stated that the future of payments would integrate traditional systems with on-chain settlement, rather than replacing one with the other.

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