Visa, crypto fintech firm Aquanow team up for stablecoin payments

Visa has expanded its stablecoin settlement services in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa by partnering with Aquanow, a global digital asset infrastructure provider.

The integration will allow Visa’s network of issuers and acquirers in these regions to settle transactions using approved stablecoins such as USDC.

Visa said the move aims to reduce transaction costs, settlement times, and operational friction for cross-border payments.

The partnership enables financial institutions in CEMEA to settle transactions more quickly by digitizing the back-end of money movement.

Aquanow provides digital asset liquidity and infrastructure solutions for financial institutions globally.

🔗 Source: Visa

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Stablecoin settlement needs specific licenses that vary across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) markets

Visa’s partner Aquanow runs a regulated entity in Dubai with licenses from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority 1. The article does not say which other CEMEA countries have approved Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) rules that would make this Visa launch legal.
Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation took effect in December 2024 1, which sets unified stablecoin rules for EU states. Many Middle Eastern and African markets keep country‑specific paths, so this patchwork decides where Visa can offer the service and which banks can join without compliance risk.
Use of approved coins such as USDC 2 limits access to places that permit dollar‑pegged tokens. Countries with strict capital controls (limits on cross‑border money movement) or foreign exchange restrictions may block blockchain‑based US dollar (USD) movement.

Payment processors and treasury providers can earn fees by offering compliant stablecoin tools to banks that avoid building in‑house

Traditional cross‑border wires cost $15 to $50 per transfer with multi‑day delays 1. That gap creates room for third‑party platforms that package token payment rails (the underlying transaction network), compliance checks and liquidity support. This matters in CEMEA where correspondent banking relationships (arrangements where one bank processes payments for another abroad) are weak.
Nine large European banks plan euro‑backed stablecoin launches by 2026 1, which pushes demand for integration software (middleware) that links these tokens to Visa without forcing banks to run blockchain plumbing.
Fintechs (financial technology companies) with payment licenses can stand out by offering 24/7 USD settlement in markets where Visa has enabled the service. Businesses tired of weekend banking blackouts can switch to the always‑on system 3.