Payments technology company Stripe has partnered with fintech platform miPlata to launch a physical Visa prepaid card that allows customers to spend funds held in stablecoin balances, expanding the use of digital dollars for everyday purchases. Announced on November 9, 2026, the card enables miPlata customers to make purchases wherever Visa is accepted without first withdrawing their stablecoins into traditional bank accounts. The product was developed using Stripe Issuing infrastructure in approximately five weeks, demonstrating how fintech companies can introduce stablecoin-linked payment cards without building their own card issuance systems.
Lead Bank serves as the issuing bank, while Stripe-owned Bridge Ventures LLC manages the card program. Stripe provides the technology supporting card creation, network approval, production and fulfillment. The initiative targets Latino workers and families who use digital dollars for payments, remittances and financial services across the United States and Latin America.
Stablecoin Balances Become Spendable Through Visa Network
The new prepaid card connects users’ miPlata accounts to Visa’s global payment network, enabling customers to spend supported stablecoin balances, particularly USD Coin (USDC), directly at participating merchants. Unlike traditional cryptocurrency spending arrangements that require customers to transfer funds to bank accounts before making purchases, the card integrates the conversion process into the payment infrastructure. When customers make purchases, the corresponding value is deducted from their stablecoin balances, while merchants receive payment through established card-network processes. The arrangement does not require merchants to accept cryptocurrency directly or maintain blockchain wallets.
Stripe stated that it supported miPlata with dedicated Bank Identification Number configuration, Visa approval procedures, physical card production and customer fulfillment. The prepaid card is issued by Lead Bank, a regulated banking institution, rather than Stripe or miPlata themselves. Bridge Ventures acts as program manager, overseeing the card arrangement on behalf of the issuing bank. MiPlata, founded by Chief Executive Miguel Alecio, provides financial services including digital dollar accounts, payroll-related products, cross-border transfers and virtual payment cards. The company focuses on underserved Latino communities across 16 countries in Latin America and the United States. The physical Visa card adds another spending option to its existing stablecoin-based financial services, potentially reducing the number of steps required to access funds received through international transfers.
Stripe Expands Stablecoin Payments Through Bridge and Visa
The launch forms part of Stripe’s broader strategy to integrate stablecoins into traditional payment infrastructure following its acquisition of Bridge. In April 2025, Visa and Bridge introduced infrastructure allowing fintech developers to issue stablecoin-linked Visa cards through a single application programming interface. The companies expanded their collaboration in March 2026, announcing plans to extend supported card programs to more than 100 countries. At that time, Bridge-enabled stablecoin cards were already operating in 18 countries, with Visa reporting acceptance across more than 175 million merchant locations.
Stripe has also expanded stablecoin-backed card capabilities through its Issuing and financial-account products, targeting businesses seeking integrated digital-dollar services. For miPlata, the arrangement offers a potentially simpler connection between stablecoin holdings and everyday spending, particularly for customers receiving cross-border payments. However, the companies have not publicly disclosed transaction volumes, cardholder numbers or the full geographic availability of the new card. Cardholders may also face applicable fees and eligibility restrictions. The launch illustrates the increasing integration of stablecoins with conventional payments, allowing blockchain-based balances to support card transactions while merchants continue receiving payments through familiar financial infrastructure.
