Visa, Stripe and Big Banks Now Use Stablecoins: What It Means for You

Stablecoins Have Quietly Become Payment Infrastructure

For years, stablecoins were mostly used inside crypto: to move between trades or to park money between investments. Over the last 12 months that changed. The largest payment networks and banks in the world started using the same digital dollars, on the same blockchains, that people use to send money to family abroad.

If you hold USDC in a wallet like Moai.cash, this matters. The money in your wallet now runs on the same rails that Visa and Stripe use to move payments between businesses.

Visa: From Pilot to Billions in Settlement

In December 2025, Visa launched USDC settlement in the United States, starting with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank on the Solana blockchain.¹ Settlement is the step where banks actually pay each other after you tap your card. Doing it in USDC means it can happen any day of the week, rather than waiting for banking hours.¹

By April 29, 2026, Visa reported that stablecoin settlement had reached a $7 billion annualized run rate, up 50% from the previous quarter. It also added more networks, including Base and Polygon, bringing the total to nine blockchains.²

Stripe's Tempo: A Blockchain Built for Payments

Tempo, the blockchain incubated by Stripe and the investment firm Paradigm, launched its mainnet on March 18, 2026.³ Tempo is designed specifically for payments: fees are paid in stablecoins rather than a volatile native token, so a business always knows what a transaction costs.⁴ Tempo launched alongside the Machine Payments Protocol, which lets software, including AI agents, pay for services automatically.³ Our guide to AI agent payments explains how that works.

Big Banks Are Building Their Own Stablecoin

On September 1, 2026, a group of 21 financial firms, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Citi, committed to a joint, regulated US dollar stablecoin, targeted for the first half of 2027.⁵ When the largest banks decide to issue a product, it is a strong signal that stablecoins are becoming a permanent part of the financial system.

How Big Is the Stablecoin Market Now?

Total stablecoin supply reached a record of about $322 billion in May 2026,⁶ then slipped to roughly $300 billion by early September 2026, according to third-party trackers.⁷ The two largest coins dominate:

Not sure which to use? Our USDC vs USDT comparison covers reserves, transparency, and regulation.

The Rules Are Catching Up

The GENIUS Act, signed in 2025, sets federal rules for US stablecoin issuers, including full reserve backing and regular disclosures. The details are being written by regulators now:

• The OCC published its proposed rule in the Federal Register on March 2, 2026¹⁰ and has said it is aiming for a final rule in November 2026.¹¹
• Regulators missed the law's July 18, 2026 deadline for finishing the rules.¹¹
• The Act takes effect on the earlier of January 18, 2027 or 120 days after final rules are issued.¹¹

A separate bill covering the wider crypto market, the CLARITY Act, stalled when a Senate procedural vote failed 49-50 on September 15, 2026.¹² That leaves stablecoins with clearer rules than most other crypto assets. For the basics of the GENIUS Act and Europe's MiCA, read our plain-language explainer.

What This Means for You

• More trust: the same coins and networks are now used by Visa, Stripe, and major banks, under clearer rules.
• Cheaper, faster transfers: settlement on networks like Base and Polygon takes seconds and costs a fraction of a cent, which is why sending money home with stablecoins costs so much less than a wire.
• More places to spend: as card networks and payment companies settle in stablecoins, moving between digital dollars and everyday spending gets easier.
• Choose regulated coins: as rules take effect, favor stablecoins whose issuers publish regular reserve reports.

Frequently asked questions

Does Visa use stablecoins?

Yes. Visa launched USDC settlement in the US in December 2025 and by April 2026 reported a $7 billion annualized run rate across nine blockchains, including Base and Polygon.

What is Stripe's Tempo blockchain?

Tempo is a payments-focused blockchain from Stripe and Paradigm that launched around March 2026. Fees are paid in stablecoins, so businesses always know what a transaction costs.

When does the GENIUS Act take effect?

On the earlier of January 18, 2027 or 120 days after regulators issue final rules. The OCC has said it is aiming for a final rule in November 2026.

How big is the stablecoin market?

Total stablecoin supply hit a record of about $322 billion in May 2026 and was roughly $300 billion in early September 2026, led by USDT and USDC.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Figures are approximate and based on public reports.