Visa adds USDPT stablecoin to its settlement network, enhancing payment choices via partnership with Anchorage Digital and Western Union.
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Through a collaboration with Anchorage Digital, Visa has incorporated Western Union’s USDPT stablecoin into its settlement network, offering eligible partners an additional method for settling obligations on VisaNet. The November 12 agreement brings the dollar-backed token into a stablecoin settlement business that had already exceeded a $25 billion annualized run rate in October.
Summary
Key takeaways
- Eligible Visa partners can now settle VisaNet obligations with USDPT.
- Anchorage Digital Bank issues the token, which Western Union launched on Solana.
- The companies aim to free capital held in prefunded overseas accounts.
- Western Union’s consumer Stablecard is separate from the institutional agreement.
How Visa’s USDPT stablecoin settlement works
Anchorage Digital describes USDPT as a native settlement asset for VisaNet, the network through which participating financial institutions settle payment obligations. Visa and eligible partners can use the token under the agreement.
USDPT is the first stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank to receive support through this collaboration. The agreement also provides a framework for evaluating additional tokens issued by the bank.
According to Dan Roesbery, Visa’s vice president of global crypto partnerships and go-to-market, the aim is to provide partners with a broader range of settlement options.
“Supporting USDPT as a native settlement asset, in partnership with Anchorage, gives them another trusted, institution-grade option,” Roesbery said.
Anchorage positions the agreement within its plan to act as a settlement bank for stablecoins, bringing together issuance, custody and infrastructure for institutional transfers. CEO Nathan McCauley emphasized the role of regulated infrastructure: “Stablecoins have made money move faster, but speed alone won’t bring institutions onchain.”
A settlement business above $25 billion
Visa’s stablecoin settlement business exceeded a $25 billion annualized run rate, the company disclosed during its October 27, 2026 earnings call. That was ten times the year-earlier level.
The figure represents settlement activity expressed at a yearly pace—not the total processed during fiscal 2026 and not USDPT-specific volume. In September, Visa had reported an annualized pace above $20 billion, more than 15 times its year-earlier level.
Chief Executive Officer Ryan McInerney noted that settlement services spanned 10 blockchains and reached all five of Visa’s geographic regions, with over 225 stablecoin-linked card programs in operation, representing 5 million cards across more than 50 countries.
USDPT’s launch and Western Union’s separate Visa card
Western Union launched USDPT on May 4, 2026, on the Solana blockchain, with Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. as issuer. Western Union describes it as fully reserve-backed and redeemable one-to-one for U.S. dollars.
Its planned uses included treasury management, agent settlement, cross-border transfers, consumer spending and a Digital Asset Network linking exchanges with payout infrastructure.
The token also powers Stablecard, Western Union’s separate consumer product developed with Rain. Launched on August 4, 2026, in 37 markets, it combines a USDPT wallet with a Visa card.
Customers can receive eligible remittances, retain dollar value and use their balances at Visa merchants or ATMs. Western Union also supports transfers to and from compatible wallets and exchanges, plus adding the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay. Its announced expansion target was more than 60 markets by the end of 2026.
Targeting prefunded balances, not announced fee cuts
The Visa integration’s stated operating goal is to reduce working capital tied up in prefunded cross-border accounts. Anchorage says conventional arrangements require companies to hold money in destination accounts before transfers arrive, tying up balances across markets with different banking hours and time zones.
By adding USDPT to its stablecoin settlement options, Visa supports the companies’ aim of moving funds around the clock and reducing reliance on those balances. Anchorage also identifies faster reconciliation and fewer manual or batch processes as intended benefits.
Those goals concern funding and settlement operations. Neither company’s statement indicates any decrease in remittance costs or cash-out fees associated with the Visa integration.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
