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On October 15, 2026, Visa announced that its Visa Direct service has transitioned to full commercial operation, enabling the pre-funding of payouts using the stablecoin USDC. Inyo Global, a company specializing in payment infrastructure, is the first partner to implement this solution. While this news may appear technical, it highlights a significant development: the readiness of regulated stablecoins for integration into everyday international payments.

Previously, the use of USDC to pre-fund Visa Direct was in the testing phase. Throughout 2025, Visa experimented with various use cases, including payouts to content creators and freelancers directly into their crypto wallets. This phase helped evaluate the tangible benefits of stablecoins while identifying existing challenges related to infrastructure and regulatory compliance. Visa has now moved to practical implementation. Vira Platonova, Global Head of Visa Direct, emphasized that stablecoins are shifting toward real-world application, with earlier research and development now evolving into functional solutions.

Inyo Global—which already facilitates international and domestic payments across more than 180 countries—has integrated Visa’s stablecoin-based capabilities into its existing APIs. This streamlines the process for clients, eliminating the need for them to overhaul their own internal systems. Robson Dantas, co-founder of Inyo Global, noted that the ability to facilitate 24/7 funding via familiar APIs was a key requirement during the development process. Thus, the goal is not to replace existing payment mechanisms, but to expand upon them.

For companies with high payment volumes, pre-funding in USDC can offer tangible benefits: reducing the costs associated with temporarily tied-up capital (float) and decreasing reliance on bank operating hours for cross-border transfers. Eligible banks, fintech firms, and other market participants gain access to instant liquidity replenishment, all while benefiting from the security and scale of the Visa network. Trust in the underlying infrastructure is a critical factor for institutional adoption.

Visa is not the only player moving in this direction. Singapore Gulf Bank is developing 24/7 USD payments, while Cross River Bank is integrating RLUSD into the XRP Ledger. These examples highlight a growing demand among traditional financial institutions for liquidity that operates beyond the constraints of the standard banking day. The market is clearly trending toward 24/7 access to funds.

Visa has consistently positioned stablecoins as an integral component of payment infrastructure, rather than as a niche product. Initiatives such as on-chain lending and stablecoin-linked cards underscore the company’s long-term strategy. Corporate adoption is also gaining momentum: the integration of Circle’s USDC and Tereina into SAP Pay enables businesses to utilize regulated stablecoins within their back-office systems. Meanwhile, Lightspark is working on functionality that will allow end-users to access stablecoins via Visa cards. Together, these developments point to the evolution of stablecoins into an essential part of the payment ecosystem.

Cuy Sheffield, Head of Visa Crypto Labs, underscored the significance of this move, noting the successful launch of Visa Direct pre-funding in collaboration with Inyo Global. Banks are also demonstrating a readiness for change: Wells Fargo’s preparations to implement stablecoin capabilities point to a more rapid transformation of institutional settlements than previously anticipated.