Two of the biggest payment brands are working together to enable average consumers all over the world to purchase cryptocurrencies.On March 3, 2026, Visa and Bridge declared that their stablecoin card program would be accessible in over 100 countries by the end of the year.Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure company owned by Stripe, currently powers stablecoin-backed Visa cards in 18 countries. The new push will take that footprint into Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East.Cardholders can use these cards to pay directly from their stablecoin balances at any of Visa’s 175 million-plus merchant locations worldwide. Crypto platforms Phantom and MetaMask are already using cards built on Bridge’s infrastructure so their users can spend stablecoins on ordinary day-to-day purchases.Developers on Bridge’s platform have moved fast to launch these Visa cards since the program first got off the ground in 2025.Stablecoin payments overtake trading in emerging marketsThe push into new markets coincides with a dramatic increase in the use of stablecoins for payments, particularly in South America, Asia, and Africa. Money transfers via conventional channels are frequently expensive, time-consuming, or restricted in those areas.According to a recent study called the Stablecoin Utility Report 2026, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of BVNK in collaboration with Coinbase and Artemis, stablecoin payments are currently surpassing stablecoin trading in emerging regions.Over 4,600 early adopters and crypto-native users from 15 countries participated in the poll.The numbers tell a clear story. Six in ten crypto-native respondents in emerging markets said they hold stablecoins. In Africa, that figure jumped to 79%.The report also found that wealthier economies are catching on. In high-income countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and across Europe, 45% of cryptocurrency users said they hold stablecoins.Their average holdings were roughly $1,000, far above the $85 average seen in emerging markets.Consumer appetite for connecting stablecoins to everyday financial services also stood out in the data. Seventy-seven percent of people surveyed said they would open a stablecoin wallet if their bank or fintech app offered one.Nearly as many, 71%, said they would use a linked debit card to spend stablecoins.Bridge CEO Zach Abrams laid out the bigger picture. “We’re on a multiyear journey to help businesses own their own financial stack,” he said.The expansion, he added, will allow businesses that operate their own custom stablecoins to plug them directly into card programs.Blockchain settlement moves into Visa’s core infrastructureThere is another layer to this story that goes beyond cards. Through a separate arrangement between Bridge and Lead Bank, Visa issuers taking part in Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot can now settle transactions directly on supported blockchain networks.Lead Bank was named earlier this year as a participant in that pilot, and Bridge is also handling the stablecoin infrastructure for Lead Bank.This is a big change from how card settlement has always worked. Instead of using traditional correspondent banking, reconciliation can now take place on-chain. The three main objectives of Visa’s trial are:Increasing settlement choices for issuersReducing back-office work through on-chain reconciliationexploring how platforms like Bridge will make blockchain technology more approachable for banks and financial institutionsThis milestone signals the start of the stablecoin growth phase. Visa is developing a hybrid payment system that mixes blockchain rails and traditional networks with the purpose of decreasing systemic friction and increasing financial inclusion.It also might increase cross-border efficiency without upsetting current merchant ecosystems.Visa’s Head of Crypto, Cuy Sheffield, stated: “Visa is committed to meeting businesses where they operate, and increasingly, that’s onchain. Expanding our work with Bridge gives us one more way to bring the speed, transparency, and programmability of stablecoins directly into the settlement process.”His comments highlight Visa’s push to scale onchain capabilities and prepare the network to handle potentially trillions in value as stablecoin adoption grows.Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.