Visa Disrupts Payments: Stablecoins Slash Wait Times for Gig Workers & Creators

Visa just handed freelancers and digital creators a weapon against payment purgatory—stablecoins.

The payments giant is leveraging crypto's speed to bypass traditional banking delays, putting instant settlements in reach for the gig economy. No more waiting 3-5 business days (or praying your client's check clears).

How it works: Visa's new rails convert stablecoin payouts to fiat at the endpoint—letting workers dodge volatility while keeping settlement times under 60 seconds. Take that, ACH.

The catch? Banks won't love losing their float revenue. But for creators tired of 'exposure' as currency, this might be the first real payroll innovation since... well, ever.

One cynic's note: Visa's move proves even legacy finance can't ignore crypto's utility—especially when there's a 30% margin upside in cutting out middlemen.

Visa Stablecoin Pilot

According to Visa, the pilot will let firms fund payouts in fiat while the recipient receives a USD-pegged stablecoin such as USDC in their crypto wallet. Recipients will still need to complete KYC and AML checks, and platforms must integrate the required rails to convert fiat into stablecoins before sending funds.

Reports have disclosed that the program is being tested within Visa Direct — the company’s money-movement service that already reaches over 195 countries and territories.

LATEST:Payments giant Visa has launched a pilot program enabling US businesses to send USD stablecoin payouts directly to recipients’ crypto wallets, while still funding their business accounts with fiat. pic.twitter.com/gd0WsN5txZ

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) November 12, 2025

Speed And Scale

Faster transfers are the big selling point. Where bank wires or other rails can take days, Visa says stablecoin transfers can land in wallets in minutes. That difference matters for creators who need cash quickly to pay bills or buy services.

According to Visa’s own research cited with the pilot, 57% of digital creators put “instant access” among their top reasons for choosing certain payout methods.

Visa also noted that Visa Direct processes billions of transactions annually and that broader availability could follow in the second half of 2026 after client onboarding and regulatory checks.

For people working across borders, receiving pay in a USD-pegged stablecoin can reduce exposure to local currency swings and avoid slow local banking systems. Recipients can choose to hold the stablecoin, convert it to local currency through a crypto exchange, or transfer it into a bank account where that option is available.

This flexibility could be especially useful in markets with weak banking infrastructure or currency controls. Some creators and gig workers, though, will prefer traditional payouts. Adoption is not automatic.

Wallet setup and user knowledge remain barriers. Many recipients do not hold compatible wallets or are unsure how to manage stablecoins, custody keys, and conversions.

Platforms must also decide who bears conversion fees and how to present the choice to payees. Integration work is required on the business side to securely convert fiat to USDC and to manage on-chain settlement, without introducing unnecessary risk to customers.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView