Visa has begun piloting a new way for businesses to send money to freelancers, creators and gig workers by paying directly into stablecoin wallets, according to company statements and industry reports. The move aims to cut the time it takes for people to access their earnings and to offer an alternative to bank or card payments.
Visa Stablecoin Pilot
According to Visa, the pilot will let firms fund payouts in fiat while the recipient receives a USD-pegged stablecoin such as USDC in their crypto wallet. Recipients will still need to complete KYC and AML checks, and platforms must integrate the required rails to convert fiat into stablecoins before sending funds.
Reports have disclosed that the program is being tested within Visa Direct — the company’s money-movement service that already reaches over 195 countries and territories.
Speed And Scale
Faster transfers are the big selling point. Where bank wires or other rails can take days, Visa says stablecoin transfers can land in wallets in minutes. That difference matters for creators who need cash quickly to pay bills or buy services.
According to Visa’s own research cited with the pilot, 57% of digital creators put “instant access” among their top reasons for choosing certain payout methods.
Visa also noted that Visa Direct processes billions of transactions annually and that broader availability could follow in the second half of 2026 after client onboarding and regulatory checks.
For people working across borders, receiving pay in a USD-pegged stablecoin can reduce exposure to local currency swings and avoid slow local banking systems. Recipients can choose to hold the stablecoin, convert it to local currency through a crypto exchange, or transfer it into a bank account where that option is available.
This flexibility could be especially useful in markets with weak banking infrastructure or currency controls. Some creators and gig workers, though, will prefer traditional payouts. Adoption is not automatic.
Practical Hurdles For Adoption
Wallet setup and user knowledge remain barriers. Many recipients do not hold compatible wallets or are unsure how to manage stablecoins, custody keys, and conversions.
Platforms must also decide who bears conversion fees and how to present the choice to payees. Integration work is required on the business side to securely convert fiat to USDC and to manage on-chain settlement, without introducing unnecessary risk to customers.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
