Visa Enables Full USDC Settlement on Solana for U.S. Financial Partners

Visa Inc. officially activated its USDC stablecoin settlement service for participating U.S. financial institutions on December 16, 2025, marking a notable milestone in the institutional adoption of digital currency infrastructure. This deployment allows U.S. issuer and acquirer partners to conduct settlements using Circle's USDC stablecoin directly over the Solana blockchain, modernizing the back-end settlement layer for global commerce.

The new service is structured to facilitate faster fund movement and enhance operational resilience by enabling transactions across seven-day settlement windows, moving beyond the conventional Monday-to-Friday banking cycle without altering the consumer card experience. Initial participants leveraging this capability include Cross River Bank and Lead Bank, which have already begun settling obligations with Visa using USDC on the Solana network.

This strategic integration builds upon years of preparatory work, as Visa began experimenting with USDC settlement in 2021 and initiated formal global pilots in 2023. The U.S. market expansion follows recent activity, including the extension of settlement services in the CEMEA region in late November 2025 and the launch of a pilot for USD-pegged stablecoin payouts in the U.S. on November 12, 2025. As of November 30, 2025, Visa’s annualized stablecoin settlement volume had reached a $3.5 billion run rate, reflecting growing institutional interest in these digital rails.

Further demonstrating its commitment, Visa is serving as a design partner for Circle’s forthcoming Layer 1 blockchain, Arc, which is currently in the public testnet phase. Visa has outlined plans to utilize Arc for future USDC settlements within its network and commit to operating a validator node upon the network's full operational launch, signaling a multi-layered integration strategy. This collaboration is intended by Circle representatives to modernize treasury operations while maintaining transparency and security protocols.

To support the broader financial sector through this transition, Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) launched its Stablecoins Advisory Practice on December 15, 2025. This new practice is designed to provide banks, merchants, and enterprises with practical guidance on market fit, strategy development, and technical implementation of stablecoin solutions, drawing upon VCA’s global expertise. Rubail Birwadker, Visa's Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships, confirmed that banking partners are actively preparing for stablecoin settlement utilization, seeking faster, programmable settlement options. Visa maintains that this capability delivers a bank-ready solution that improves treasury efficiency while adhering to stringent network security and compliance standards.

The phased rollout of the USDC settlement feature across the United States is scheduled to continue throughout 2026. This initiative is set against the backdrop of the global stablecoin market capitalization, which currently exceeds $250–300 billion. The advisory service is already engaging with clients such as Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar Credit Union, and Pathward to explore applications like cross-border payments and B2B transactions.