Visa (NYSE: V) delivered a strong message on June 18 about the future of financial transactions, emphasizing the growing necessity for stablecoin integration across the global payments ecosystem. The company stressed that stablecoins are no longer optional but rapidly becoming a strategic requirement for institutions involved in money movement. As part of this push, Visa announced an expansion of its stablecoin settlement capabilities across the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) region through a new partnership with pan-African fintech Yellow Card.

Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Head of Product and Solution for CEMEA, underscored the trend, stating:

In 2025, we believe that every institution that moves money will need a stablecoin strategy.

He pointed to the accelerating adoption of blockchain-powered payments as evidence that stablecoins are poised to reshape settlement infrastructure, enabling faster, cheaper, and continuous cross-border transactions. Visa’s own stablecoin settlement solution, which allows select issuers and acquirers to process USD cross-border payments via blockchain, demonstrates this trend. Since piloting stablecoin settlements in 2023, Visa has processed over $225 million in stablecoin volume, signaling growing institutional acceptance.

The collaboration with Yellow Card will explore stablecoin applications across its licensed African markets to streamline treasury operations and improve liquidity. The companies plan to test integration with Visa Direct to expand cross-border payment capabilities. Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice stated:

Together with Visa, we’re building a bridge between traditional finance and the future of money movement.

“We look forward to continuing to innovate new solutions that can transform how money moves for even more secure, efficient, and transparent payment solutions,” the executive noted. Proponents argue that despite regulatory uncertainties, stablecoins have the potential to democratize access to financial services, reduce fees, and increase efficiency, especially in underserved regions.