Visa announced on Sept. 8 that it is combining VisaNet settlement data with blockchain lending infrastructure to help stablecoin-linked card programs and fintechs seek working capital. The payments company described the approach as a bridge between card-settlement activity and onchain credit rather than a consumer lending product.
According to Visa’s official announcement, authorized settlement data can give participating lenders a clearer view of how a card program is operating. Lenders can then use that information alongside onchain records when evaluating financing and structuring capital for settlement needs.
Credit Coop provides the first implementation
Visa identified Credit Coop as an early example of the model. The lender uses smart contracts to automate funding, collateral management and repayment for stablecoin-linked card programs. With customer authorization, Credit Coop combines Visa settlement information with blockchain transaction records to assess performance and support settlement financing.
Visa said the implementation has financed more than $2.5 billion in cumulative settlement volume since 2023, with no defaults across participating facilities. The company also reported more than 3,000 borrowing events and 9,000 repayment events processed onchain. Those figures are Visa’s account of the program’s performance, not an independently audited industry-wide result.
Visa points to growth in stablecoin cards
The company said more than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs now operate on its network and that their payment volume has risen nearly 200% year over year. Visa also put its stablecoin settlement volume above a $20 billion annualized run rate, up more than fifteenfold from a year earlier.
Those numbers explain the financing problem Visa is targeting. Fast-growing payment firms may need capital before traditional lenders have enough operating history or completed manual underwriting. The proposed model does not make Visa the lender; it uses payment data to help outside lenders assess facilities delivered through programmable infrastructure.
The model extends Visa’s stablecoin strategy
The lending initiative follows Visa’s expansion of stablecoin settlement and card programs. BlockchainReporter recently covered a related Visa and Nium stablecoin settlement pilot, which focused on seven-day settlement under Singapore’s BLOOM initiative rather than credit for card issuers.
Visa said onchain credit could eventually support lending, treasury management and settlement, but those uses remain forward-looking. The concrete Sept. 8 development is the company’s disclosed working-capital model and its Credit Coop implementation. Visa did not announce general availability terms, participating lenders beyond Credit Coop, or a timetable for broader rollout.