In a significant move to broaden their collaboration in the burgeoning stablecoin sector, Visa and Bridge, a crypto startup acquired by Stripe in 2025, have announced plans to introduce stablecoin-backed cards across 100 countries spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa. This initiative builds upon a previous commitment made in April, which detailed the launch of similar offerings in Latin American nations, including Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.
The newly rolled-out cards, which are already operational in 18 countries, enable consumers to utilize their stablecoin balances stored in crypto wallets for everyday purchases at a range of businesses, from delis to retail outlets that accept Visa. Companies, such as the wallet startup Phantom, have turned to Bridge to develop their own branded debit cards backed by stablecoins, with Visa providing the essential payment network infrastructure.
Cuy Sheffield, Visa’s head of crypto, emphasized the importance of integrating card services with stablecoin wallets to facilitate consumer spending in physical and digital marketplaces. “Anyone who’s building a stablecoin wallet needs to have a card connected to it if they want consumers and businesses to be able to have that value held in the wallet spent in the real world,” he stated.
This partnership comes amid a climate of skepticism surrounding the role of traditional financial institutions in the face of swift innovations brought forth by stablecoins. These cryptocurrencies are pegged to real-world assets, such as the U.S. dollar, enabling instant transactions on blockchains and potentially displacing long-standing payment networks. Such developments have contributed to declines in stock prices for dominant credit giants like Visa and Mastercard, particularly following legislative movements like the passing of the Genius Act, which aims to regulate stablecoins.
However, the ongoing collaboration between Bridge and Visa highlights a growing trend of integration rather than outright competition between fintech companies and traditional financial services. Other stablecoin initiatives, like Rain, which recently achieved a valuation of nearly $2 billion after securing $250 million in funding, also collaborate with Visa to offer stablecoin-linked cards.
Zach Abrams, cofounder and CEO of Bridge, noted the longstanding value of Visa’s network, which has been built over 40 years. He asserted that this established network will remain beneficial, regardless of the evolving landscape involving stablecoins.
Looking to the future, Abrams pointed out a potential area where stablecoins may outperform traditional card networks: agentic commerce. This concept envisions a world where AI agents automatically handle purchases on behalf of users, paving the way for a distinctive transaction framework that diverges from how traditional card networks function.
In addition to expanding its card offerings in collaboration with Visa, Bridge has committed to participating in an ongoing pilot program. This initiative seeks to explore the viability of processing transactions via stablecoins on blockchain technology instead of conventional bank transfers. Notable fintech firms like Worldpay and Nuvei are already part of this pilot. Sheffield expressed optimism about the potential for on-chain transactions to scale significantly, suggesting that if billions of dollars can be transacted in this manner, the possibilities for moving trillions could follow.
