The Visa and Bridge union will allow Fintechs to issue cards linked to Stablecoins.
In Latin America, the demand of Stablecoins has increased in recent years.
Information about the Fintechs selected by Visa and Bridge begins to circulate to launch cards that will allow users to spend stablecoins on any trade that accepts this payment network. The initiative, which already aims to be implemented in several Latin American countries, has the support of Stripe infrastructure, after Bridge’s acquisition earlier this year.
On this occasion it was Airtm, online financial platform that functions as a digital wallet, who advertisement Through your account in X The next launch of a visa card linked to Stablecoins. It is worth noting that, according to information From Stripe, other Fintechs such as Ramp and Squads can also issue visa cards associated with stable currencies in tens of countries.
In the published image a card design with the acronym of USDC is appreciated, which suggests that this stablecoin will be the main option at the time of launch. However, It should not be ruled out that other alternatives of this type are incorporated in the future. It should be remembered that, in December 2024, AirTM He enabled Deposits and withdrawals in USDT, DAI and Pyusd on the Ethereum network, among other options. Previously, it was only possible to remove USDC through Stellar.
The strategic alliance between Visa and Bridge will allow selected fintechs to issue cards capable of automatically converting funds into stablecoins to local currency at the time of each purchasethanks to a single integration via API. The program already contemplates its implementation in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Chile, and it is expected that other regions such as Europe, Asia and Africa are expected to be extended soon. This was reported by cryptootics.
The launch of visa cards linked to Stablecoins arrives at a key moment for Latin America, where The demand for this type of digital assets has grown in recent years. Already in 2024, a Kaiko report reflected that more than 40% of all operations with cryptocurrencies in the region involved USDT, thus displacing Bitcoin of the first place he maintained for years.
In some countries, the adoption of stable currencies even covers the institutional approach, such as Bolivia. And, before a deep shortage of currencies, the government of Luis Arce began actively exploring the use of cryptoactive for key import operations. The state -owned Petrolera YPFB contemplates the use of USDT to pay the purchase of fuel, in an attempt to overcome the lack of dollars and maintain the country’s energy supply.
The appearance of new visa cards linked to Stablecoins does not imply the only progress in the crossing between cryptocurrencies and traditional means of payment. Aqua Wallet and the company Jan3 announced the next departure of the Dolphin Card, a rechargeable visa with bitcoin that stands out for not requiring KYC processes (“Know Your Customer”). This feature makes it an attractive option for users who prioritize privacy, especially in regions with a limited level of banking such as Latin America.
