Visa opens stablecoin payments to US banks via Solana

Visa has started allowing US banks and payment partners to settle transactions using USDC, a dollar-backed stablecoin, in the United States.

Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are among the first institutions to use USDC settlement with Visa over the Solana blockchain, with wider rollout planned in 2026.

Visa said this move aims to enable faster fund transfers and seven-day settlement windows for participating banks, without changing the consumer card experience.

The company reported an annualized stablecoin settlement volume run rate exceeding US$3.5 billion as of November 2025.

🔗 Source: Visa

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Banks need stablecoin settlement clarity

The GENIUS Act, a proposed U.S. law, sets rules for payment stablecoins with 100% reserves and compliance but does not explain how regulators will oversee stablecoin settlement 1. It requires bank subsidiaries for issuers while Visa’s settlement sits apart from issuance 2 3.
Cross River Bank plus Lead Bank using USD Coin (USDC) on Solana tests how Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) apply capital, liquidity, operational risk to on-chain settlement 3.
The Richmond Fed (the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, one of the Fed’s 12 regional banks) said rollout will take time as regulators write rules, and urged banks to consult supervisors 2.
Unclear treatment of balance sheets, capital, operational risk clouds Visa’s plan to scale through 2026 3. Visa launched Stablecoins Advisory Practice to guide financial institutions 4.

Vendors can package stablecoin settlement

Payment processors, gateways, custodians can pitch issuer and acquirer banks that want stablecoin settlement but lack tech 3. They need Visa partner requirements, integration docs, plus timelines for Solana support and Arc blockchain to shape offers 3.
U.S. Bank, selected to custody reserves for Anchorage Digital Bank’s payment stablecoins (Anchorage Digital Bank is a federally chartered digital-asset bank), signals demand for infrastructure in the stablecoin value chain 5.
A $3.5 billion settlement run rate points to demand providers can win with integration, compliance monitoring, and treasury tools 3. Early movers can partner with Cross River Bank, Lead Bank, then participants before Visa’s 2026 rollout 3.