Payment giant Visa announced Tuesday that it is integrating onchain lending infrastructure with its settlement network, creating a new mechanism for stablecoin-linked card programs to access working capital. The initiative combines settlement data from VisaNet with blockchain-based lending systems, enabling lenders to assess borrowers and finance their settlement obligations using records from both the Visa network and onchain transactions.
Credit Coop, a blockchain-based credit protocol for businesses, was highlighted as an early participant in the model. According to Visa, Credit Coop has financed more than $2.5 billion in cumulative settlement volume since 2023 through more than 3,000 borrowing events and 9,000 repayments.
The move reflects Visa's expanding role in stablecoin payments. More than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs now operate on its network, with payment volume increasing nearly 200% year over year. Visa reported that its stablecoin settlement volume has surpassed a $20 billion annualized run rate, representing more than 15 times the level from a year earlier.
Visa's stablecoin strategy extends beyond payment cards. The company has said it is investing across layers of the stablecoin ecosystem, including blockchains, wallets, infrastructure and applications. Visa is also a participant in the OpenStandard consortium, which plans to issue the OpenUSD stablecoin alongside more than 140 other participating businesses including Stripe.
Stablecoin transaction activity has grown significantly. Adjusted stablecoin transaction volume reached $1.79 trillion in June, with volume over the past 30 days at approximately $1.2 trillion, according to Visa's analytics.
