TL;DR
The expansion of stablecoin settlement continues to gain momentum as Visa announced support for five additional blockchains across its global pilot. The move reflects rising demand for multi-chain settlement options and comes as the company’s blockchain infrastructure reaches a $7 billion annualized run rate, marking 50% quarterly growth. With stablecoins becoming a practical tool for global money movement, the pilot now spans nine networks and offers partners broader flexibility in how they access liquidity and streamline operations.
The newly added networks, Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon, and Tempo, serve distinct roles within the settlement ecosystem. Arc, created by Circle, focuses on programmable money and real-world economic activity. Base, powered by Coinbase, offers fast and low-cost settlement for stablecoins and onchain assets. Canton brings configurable privacy for regulated institutions, while Polygon provides high-throughput infrastructure for global payments. Tempo targets faster and more private movement of stablecoin liquidity. Together, these additions expand the pilot beyond earlier support for Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and Stellar.
Visa’s pilot rapid growth highlights accelerating institutional interest in blockchain-based settlement. Visa reported that annualized stablecoin settlement volume climbed from roughly $4.7 billion to $7 billion in a single quarter. The company also operates more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programs across over 50 countries, bridging digital assets with traditional payment networks. This expansion mirrors a broader trend: liquidity and activity now span multiple chains, and settlement infrastructure is evolving to match.
Executives across the ecosystem emphasized how the expansion supports real-world settlement needs. Circle noted Arc’s focus on predictable performance and global-scale liquidity. Base’s founder described the update as a step toward making onchain activity a daily standard. Leaders from Canton, Polygon, and Tempo echoed similar themes, pointing to compliance, low-cost infrastructure, and real-time settlement as key drivers of adoption.
By supporting more blockchains, Visa aims to simplify access to liquidity across ecosystems while reducing operational complexity for institutions. The company’s role as a validator on Tempo and Canton, and design partner for Arc, reinforces its commitment to bridging traditional finance with blockchain-based systems as stablecoin settlement becomes a viable complement to existing rails.
