Visa partnered with crypto infrastructure provider Mesh on October 19, 2026, to allow consumers to spend cryptocurrency and stablecoins across 175 million merchant locations in over 200 countries. Mesh converts digital assets to fiat at checkout, enabling direct wallet spending without separate cards or bank transfers while merchants receive standard payments. This comes as stablecoin spending surged 45% to $482 billion through September 2026, driving major card networks like Visa and Mastercard to integrate digital asset rails into existing systems.
Visa and Mesh partnership details
- ▪Visa and Mesh announced a partnership on October 19, 2026 to enable direct cryptocurrency and stablecoin payments across 175 million merchant locations in over 200 countries and territories.
- ▪The Visa and Mesh service will allow consumers to spend digital assets directly from wallet balances without cashing out, transferring to bank accounts, or acquiring a separate payment card.
- ▪Visa and Mesh have not yet disclosed the specific supported crypto wallets, compatible devices, eligible cryptocurrencies, or launch date for their payment service.
How Mesh payment processing works
- ▪Mesh will handle transaction funding, customer onboarding, know-your-customer checks, and the conversion of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins into fiat currency at the moment of payment.
- ▪Merchants on the Visa network will receive standard fiat payments through existing checkout systems without installing new hardware or receiving cryptocurrency directly.
Mesh funding history
- ▪PayPal Ventures and Coinbase Ventures participated in an August 2025 investment round that raised Mesh's total funding past $130 million.
- ▪Mesh reached unicorn status after raising $75 million in a Series C funding round led by Dragonfly in January 2026, bringing its total valuation to $1 billion.
Growth in stablecoin payment activity
- ▪Visa disclosed that stablecoin card payment volume across its 160 active stablecoin-linked card programs grew nearly 200% year-over-year in fiscal 2026.
- ▪According to Allium's Q3 2026 report, stablecoin payment volume reached $482 billion from January through September 2026, a 45% increase year-over-year.
- ▪Total circulating stablecoin supply grew by 0.4% in 2026 to $305 billion as of September 30, 2026, while payment transaction counts rose 71% to 1.04 billion.
Mastercard stablecoin initiatives
- ▪Mastercard launched its Global Money Platform with BVNK in October 2026, enabling banks and fintechs to combine traditional fiat accounts with stablecoin balances and conversions.
- ▪Mastercard acquired stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK in August 2026 to gain direct control over stablecoin payment rails.
Story comments
Loading comments…