Visa Expands USDC Settlement to U.S. Banks After $3.5B Pilot
Visa is expanding settlement in USDC to U.S. banks following a $3.5 billion pilot, with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank settling transactions using USDC on the Solana blockchain. The expansion leverages Solana’s fast finality and low fees to route payment settlements through a stablecoin rail, building on Visa’s earlier tests to marry crypto infrastructure with legacy payment flows.
This development matters because it could shorten settlement times for merchants, lower on‑chain costs, and bring stablecoin liquidity into regulated banking corridors. Wider bank participation may increase institutional demand for USDC, although the initiative will continue to face regulatory and compliance scrutiny as banks adapt custody and reporting practices. Overall, the move marks another step toward mainstreaming stablecoin settlement in everyday payments.