Crypto Firm Partners With Visa to Enable Near Real-Time Crypto-to-Fiat Off-Ramping

Visa just handed crypto its biggest mainstream card yet—and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Forget waiting days for exchanges to process withdrawals. A major crypto infrastructure player has inked a deal with the payments giant to let users convert digital assets into spendable cash almost instantly. This isn't just a feature upgrade; it's a fundamental bridge between the volatile world of crypto and the steady drip of everyday bills.

The Mechanics of the Instant Cash-Out

The partnership plugs directly into Visa's vast network, bypassing traditional banking rails that often slow crypto off-ramps to a crawl. The tech leverages Visa Direct, allowing qualifying crypto platforms to send funds to over 1.5 billion Visa cards globally. Think of it: sell some Bitcoin, and the fiat hits your debit card in minutes, not days. It cuts the final lag between trading an asset and actually using its value.

Why This Changes the Game for Adoption

Seamless off-ramping has long been crypto's Achilles' heel for practical use. This move directly attacks that pain point. By integrating with a name as trusted as Visa, it adds a layer of legitimacy and convenience that retail users desperately crave. It signals that crypto isn't just for HODLing in cold storage—it's becoming a functional part of the financial toolkit, ready to pay for a coffee or cover a car repair.

The finance old guard might scoff at the volatility, but they can't ignore the efficiency. This partnership effectively turns every Visa card into a potential crypto exit point, blurring the lines these institutions have tried so hard to draw. One cynical take? The traditional system is finally building the on-ramps to accommodate the capital fleeing toward digital assets—better late than never for their balance sheets.

The era of waiting is over. Liquidity just got real-time.

Mercuryo Taps Visa Direct to Speed Up Low-Cost Crypto-to-Fiat Payments

The service is designed to reduce settlement times and costs compared with traditional conversion and payout methods, particularly for cross-border transactions.

The integration expands Mercuryo’s use of Visa Direct, which already supports real-time transfers across brokerage, crypto and digital banking accounts.

By tapping into Visa’s global payments infrastructure, Mercuryo said it aims to make crypto-to-fiat conversions more accessible without requiring users to leave the wallets, exchanges or platforms they already use.

Mercuryo said the partnership allows Visa Direct to connect with its network of non-custodial wallets, exchanges and payment providers, giving millions of users access to fast off-ramping tools through familiar interfaces.

Visa@Mercuryo_io, working to make cross-border payouts faster, reduce delays, and help people access their funds quickly in their local currencies.#crypto #VisaDirect https://t.co/bYNbTjKiYF

Funds converted to fiat can be spent at more than 150 million merchant locations worldwide that accept Visa.

“This partnership with Visa will further enhance Mercuryo’s ability to deliver a fast, low-cost user experience,” said Mercuryo co-founder and CEO Petr Kozyakov.

He said the integration reduces the friction historically associated with moving funds across borders or cashing out digital assets, allowing users to access local currencies more quickly.

Anastasia Serikova, head of Visa Direct in Europe, said the collaboration is intended to bridge the gap between crypto platforms and traditional financial systems.

She said the service enables users to convert digital assets into fiat in near real time, improving convenience and reliability for everyday payments.

Visa Deepens Crypto Strategy as Stablecoin Settlements Reach $3.5B Run Rate

The deal adds to Visa’s growing push into digital assets. In December, the company launched a Stablecoins Advisory Practice to help businesses explore ways to integrate stablecoins into their operations.

In July last year, Visa surpassed $200 million in cumulative stablecoin settlement volume while expanding its crypto infrastructure through African partnerships and platform development.

However, CEO Ryan McInerney warned that the technology still requires clearer regulations to reach its full potential.

Visa has also reported rising stablecoin settlement volumes, reaching an annualized run rate of $3.5 billion.

Earlier, Visa partnered with crypto infrastructure firm Aquanow to improve stablecoin settlement speeds and reduce reliance on legacy payment rails.