Visa Doubles Down: Launches Dedicated Stablecoin Advisory Practice as Digital Payment Infrastructure Explodes
Visa isn't just watching the stablecoin wave—it's building the surfboards. The payments giant just launched a dedicated Stablecoin Advisory Practice, a clear signal that digital asset infrastructure is moving from sandbox experiments to core business strategy.
From Niche to Necessity
The move cuts through the noise. Forget speculative crypto swings—this is about the rails. Visa's new practice will guide financial institutions and merchants on integrating stablecoins, those digital tokens pegged to real-world assets like the dollar, directly into existing payment flows. It bypasses legacy friction, aiming for settlements measured in seconds, not days.
The Infrastructure Play
This isn't a dip-a-toe test. It's a full-scale advisory arm built to capitalize on the expanding plumbing beneath digital finance. The practice will tackle compliance, technical implementation, and partnership strategies, effectively offering a corporate concierge service for navigating the new monetary landscape. One cynical observer might note it's a brilliant way for Visa to get paid advising on a technology that could, in theory, make parts of its own network obsolete—a classic finance move of hedging the future while monetizing the transition.
The launch confirms a tectonic shift. Digital payment infrastructure isn't coming; it's being built at scale, with traditional titans now drafting the blueprints. The race to own the next generation of value transfer just got a major, corporate-backed contender.
The new practice, operating under Visa Consulting & Analytics, will guide banks, fintechs, merchants, and businesses through stablecoin strategy development and implementation.
The announcement comes as Visa’s stablecoin settlement volume reached a $3.5 billion annualized run rate as of November 30, demonstrating rapid growth in institutional adoption of digital dollar infrastructure.
Services and Client Engagement
The advisory practice offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to help organizations navigate the stablecoin landscape. These include specialized training programs through Visa University, strategy development, market entry planning, use case analysis, and technical integration support.
According to Visa, the practice has already been active for several months and completed more than 20 engagements across the globe. Early clients include Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar Credit Union, and Pathward, with Visa expecting the client base to grow to hundreds of organizations.
“Having a comprehensive stablecoins strategy is critical in today’s digital landscape,” said Carl Rutstein, global head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, in the company’s announcement. “Clients come to Visa and VCA for guidance because they trust our ability to navigate change, both within payments and beyond.”
Source: investor.visa.com
Matt Freeman, senior vice president at Navy Federal Credit Union, explained the appeal: “Stablecoins may represent an opportunity to enhance speed and lower cost in payments, so with the support of Visa, we are evaluating how this technology could fit into our broader strategy to deliver meaningful value to our 15 million members worldwide.”
Market Growth and Regulatory Clarity
The launch coincides with explosive growth in the stablecoin market, which recently hit a record high of $310.117 billion on December 13, 2025. The market has grown 52.1% over the past 12 months, up from $203.728 billion in late 2024.
Tether’s USDT remains dominant with a 60.10% market share and $186.2 billion market cap, while Circle’s USDC holds second place with approximately $78.3 billion. Together, these two stablecoins control roughly 85% of the entire market.
Regulatory developments have accelerated institutional interest. The United States passed the GENIUS Act in July 2025, creating the first federal framework for stablecoin regulation. The law requires one-to-one backing with dollars or liquid assets and provides clear compliance standards for issuers.
In Europe, the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation became fully effective on December 30, 2024, establishing transparent rules for stablecoin issuers operating in EU markets.
Visa’s Broader Stablecoin Strategy
The advisory practice represents one component of Visa’s expanding stablecoin infrastructure. The company currently supports over 130 stablecoin-linked card issuing programs across more than 40 countries.
In his December 9 annual letter to shareholders, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney described stablecoins as “next-generation settlement infrastructure.” The company’s roadmap includes stablecoin-linked cards, settlement in USDC, stablecoin prefunding for cross-border payouts, and pilots delivering payments directly to stablecoin wallets.
In July 2025, Visa expanded support to include PayPal USD (PYUSD), Global Dollar (USDG), and euro-backed EURC, while adding the Stellar and Avalanche blockchain networks to its platform. The company also partnered with Aquanow in November to bring stablecoin settlements to Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In November 2025, Visa launched a pilot program enabling businesses to send payouts directly in USDC through Visa Direct, targeting creators, freelancers, and gig workers who need fast cross-border payments.
Use Cases Driving Adoption
Organizations are pursuing stablecoin strategies for several specific use cases. Cross-border payments to countries with volatile currencies represent a major opportunity, as stablecoins can reduce settlement times from days to minutes while cutting transaction costs.
Business-to-business payments also show promise, particularly for international transactions. Remittances, global payroll services, and creator economy payments are additional areas where stablecoins offer advantages over traditional banking infrastructure.
Anthony Sharett, president of Pathward, praised the advisory service’s practical approach: “Visa Consulting & Analytics brings together Visa’s scale, expertise and specialized consultants to offer a unique service. Stablecoins could provide innovative solutions for the financial services sector, and Visa’s team delivered impressive work, insights and actionable recommendations for businesses exploring them.”
Industry Outlook and Competition
Industry analysts project continued growth for the stablecoin market. Citi estimates the market could reach $1.9 trillion by 2030 in a base scenario, with a bullish case reaching $4 trillion. Standard Chartered forecasts $2 trillion by 2028.
Visa faces competition from several fronts. Traditional rival Mastercard is developing similar stablecoin capabilities, while financial institutions including Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan are building their own digital currency infrastructure. Technology companies and fintech startups are also entering the space with blockchain-based payment solutions.
The advisory practice launch follows Visa’s August 2025 introduction of a Cybersecurity Advisory Practice, demonstrating the company’s strategy of expanding consulting services alongside its Core payment network operations.
The Digital Dollar Convergence
The combination of regulatory clarity, proven technology, and growing institutional adoption is transforming stablecoins from niche digital assets into critical components of global payment systems. As Visa and its competitors build bridges between traditional finance and blockchain-based infrastructure, the distinction between conventional and digital payments continues to blur.
For financial institutions evaluating their digital currency strategies, the availability of specialized advisory services from established payment networks signals that stablecoin integration has moved from the experimental phase to operational reality.
