Visa is opening its VisaNet settlement data to blockchain-based lenders, giving them a new tool to extend working capital to the card issuers behind a rapidly expanding stablecoin payments business. The move comes as the payments giant's stablecoin settlement volume crossed a $20 billion annualized run rate, a fifteenfold jump from a year earlier.
Bridging Traditional Data and Onchain Credit
The initiative pairs Visa's proprietary transaction records with decentralized lending protocols, allowing lenders to assess the creditworthiness of issuers using verified settlement activity. Historically, crypto-native firms have struggled to access working capital because they lack the conventional financial track records that traditional banks require for underwriting.
By feeding VisaNet data into onchain lending systems, Visa aims to close that gap. Issuers that process stablecoin transactions can now leverage their real payment flows as evidence of business health, potentially unlocking credit lines that were previously out of reach.
Visa is turning its settlement ledger into a passport that lets crypto card issuers borrow against their own transaction history.
A Surge in Stablecoin Settlement
The timing reflects explosive growth in Visa's stablecoin operations. Reaching a $20 billion annualized run rate marks a dramatic acceleration, and the company is betting that financing tools will help sustain the momentum by supporting the issuers driving volume.
Working capital is a persistent challenge in card programs, where issuers often need to front funds before settlement completes. Access to fast, data-backed credit could ease those pressures and encourage more players to build stablecoin-linked card products.
Key aspects of the effort include:
- Stablecoin settlement volume up 15x year over year
- A $20 billion annualized run rate milestone
- VisaNet data made available to blockchain lenders
- A financing channel aimed at crypto card issuers
The program signals Visa's continued push to embed itself in the digital-asset economy, positioning its infrastructure as a bridge between conventional payment rails and emerging onchain finance. As stablecoin adoption grows, the company appears intent on ensuring that the issuers fueling that expansion have the capital they need to scale.