Visa tests USDC payouts for creators and gig workers in the U.S.

Visa has launched a U.S. pilot that lets businesses using Visa Direct fund payouts in U.S. dollars while recipients opt to receive those funds in USDC. 

Announced at Web Summit in Lisbon, the program focuses on creators, freelancers and gig workers, with broader access planned for the second half of 2026.

According to Visa, participating U.S. platforms can route near‑instant cross‑border payouts directly to a recipient’s compatible crypto wallet. The setup is intended to shorten settlement times for international earnings and provide an option in markets with unstable currencies or limited access to banking.

Only Circle’s USDC is enabled at launch. Recipients must complete know‑your‑customer and anti‑money‑laundering checks and use a wallet that meets Visa’s technical and compliance standards. The company is onboarding select partners in the initial phase and has not disclosed names.

Visa research indicates that 57% of digital content creators cite instant access as the leading reason for choosing digital payment methods. Chris Newkirk, president of commercial and money movement solutions at Visa, commented on the launch of the initiative:

Launching stablecoin payouts is about enabling truly universal access to money in minutes — not days — for anyone, anywhere in the world.

The pilot extends a September initiative that lets businesses pre‑fund Visa Direct payout accounts with stablecoins rather than only fiat. Earlier this year, Visa added USDG, PYUSD and EURC to its settlement options across the Stellar and Avalanche blockchains and tested instant transfers using USDC and EURC for treasury needs.

Since 2020, Visa reports facilitating more than $140 billion in crypto and stablecoin flows. The network supports over 130 stablecoin‑linked card issuing programs in more than 40 countries. 

On whether Visa might issue a stablecoin, the company has indicated that near‑term efforts center on scaling use cases for existing assets through cards, settlement and bank integrations.

As GNcrypto covered previously, Visa exceeded earnings expectations in the fourth quarter, forecasted double-digit revenue growth in 2026, and plans to add support for four stablecoins on four blockchains.