Visa has launched a stablecoins advisory service to help banks, fintechs, merchants and businesses of all sizes assess how stablecoins could fit into payments and settlement.

The new practice sits under Visa Consulting & Analytics and is positioned as a value-added advisory offering covering market fit, strategy and implementation.

Visa said the service is intended to help clients explore how stablecoin infrastructure could support innovation and growth.

The launch comes as the stablecoin market capitalisation has surpassed US$250 billion.

Visa reported that its stablecoin settlement volume has reached a US$3.5 billion annualised run rate as of 30 November.

The advisory service includes stablecoin training and market trend programmes, including a new Visa University course, alongside strategy development, market entry planning, use case sizing, go-to-market planning and technology support for stablecoin integration.

The services are designed to support adoption amid emerging regulatory standards.

“Having a comprehensive stablecoins strategy is critical in today’s digital landscape. Clients come to Visa and VCA for guidance because they trust our ability to navigate change, both within payments and beyond.

We are proud to help our clients stay agile and competitive as this space evolves at an unprecedented pace.”

said Carl Rutstein, global head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, Visa.

The advisory practice builds on Visa’s broader work in blockchain and stablecoin payments.

The company was among the first major payments networks to pilot stablecoin settlement using USDC in 2023 and now supports more than 130 stablecoin-linked card issuing programmes across over 40 countries.

Recent Visa Direct pilots allow qualified businesses in certain jurisdictions to pre-fund cross-border payments using stablecoins and send direct payouts to individuals’ stablecoin wallets.

Early users of the advisory service include Navy Federal Credit Union, Pathward and VyStar Credit Union.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mangpor2004 via Freepik