Visa has deployed a stablecoin settlement system across Ethereum, Solana, Stellar, and Avalanche blockchains, expanding its presence across the stablecoin space.
Visa is operating a global stablecoin settlement system across four blockchain networks as of January 2026. According to its data, the US-based payments company processes more than USD 3.5 billion in annual stablecoin settlement volume through its multi-chain infrastructure, which spans Ethereum, Solana, Stellar, and Avalanche.
The deployment represents a shift from pilot programmes to production-grade blockchain implementation by a traditional financial institution. Visa's architecture routes transactions based on specific requirements, including security, speed, and cost efficiency, with different blockchains managing distinct use cases.
Network-specific deployment strategy
Ethereum serves as Visa's primary settlement layer for high-value and security-sensitive transactions. The network's liquidity, decentralisation, and settlement finality position it as the core infrastructure for transactions where trust and security are prioritised.
Solana and Avalanche are deployed for institutional-grade settlements requiring low latency and high throughput. These networks enable Visa to process transactions with reduced costs while maintaining operational efficiency. Stellar handles enterprise adoption and cross-border payments, particularly in regions where efficient cross-border settlement infrastructure is essential.
Visa is also participating as a design partner on Arc, a Layer-1 blockchain being developed by Circle for payment use cases. The network is currently in the testnet phase. Visa plans to run a validator and settle USDC directly on Arc once the network launches.
The multi-chain approach allows Visa to avoid network congestion and improve system reliability by distributing transaction flows across multiple blockchain networks. The architecture reflects broader patterns in traditional finance, where banks and payment providers are deploying blockchain infrastructure for live transaction processing rather than limiting blockchain technology to isolated pilot projects.
Additionally, Visa's extensive presence in the stablecoin space has also been highlighted in a recent collaboration with NymCard. The latter announced the go-live of stablecoin settlement in the GCC with Visa, intending to scale digitisation across the region. The agreement came as a key step in improving settlement infrastructure and digitising the backend of money movement.
