Visa Crypto Card Program Expands With New European Bank Partnerships

Visa expanded its stablecoin-linked card programs on March 3, 2026, through infrastructure partnerships that target Europe alongside Latin America, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. The move builds on an existing product with Bridge, a Stripe-owned platform, and adds European issuers such as Quantoz and NBX. Cards let users spend stablecoin balances at Visa’s merchant network of more than 175 million locations.

Visa Crypto Card Rollout Adds Bridge, Quantoz and NBX Partnerships

Bridge-enabled cards launched in 18 countries with an initial focus on Argentina and Colombia before extending reach. The program aims to cover more than 100 countries by the end of 2026. Eligible transactions can settle on-chain using stablecoins such as USDC and EURC through Lead Bank, a participant in Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot. Visa’s head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield, noted the benefits of speed, transparency and programmability for these flows.

Dutch firm Quantoz became a Visa principal member around February 2026 to issue virtual debit cards backed by its regulated e-money tokens USDQ, EURQ and EURD across the EEA. Quantoz also serves as a BIN sponsor for third-party fintechs, focusing on embedded payments for online, in-store and mobile-wallet use. Norwegian exchange NBX is preparing the first stablecoin-linked Visa Flexible Credential, scheduled for 2027 rollout in Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Poland, subject to regulatory conditions. NBX issues its own MiCA-compliant stablecoins and works with Tieto Banktech for card infrastructure and IDT Finance for issuance. The cards begin as prepaid or debit products with cashback in BTC, gold or silver and later add credit features.

By late October 2026, Visa supported more than 225 stablecoin-linked card programs representing roughly five million cards in over 50 countries. Payment volumes rose more than 150 percent year over year, while the annualized stablecoin settlement run rate reached about 25 billion dollars, a tenfold increase. The Visa Stablecoin Platform operates in select markets including the UK and Switzerland, and tokenized payments continue to expand in the CEMEA region.

Background and Next Steps for Stablecoin Settlement

The current expansion follows the 2025 Latin America launch and earlier pilots that began in early 2025. It allows crypto platforms and fintechs to offer spendable stablecoin balances through established Visa rails without requiring merchants to accept crypto directly. Similar integrations with providers such as Lightspark and Mesh already support wallet spending in multiple markets.

Visa continues to emphasize multi-coin and multi-chain flexibility across five stablecoins on ten blockchains. The Bridge program is scheduled to add further European markets, while the NBX card launch remains targeted for 2027. On-chain settlement pilots are expected to broaden as more banks and fintechs join the existing infrastructure.

These developments align with growing demand for regulated digital payment rails that combine stablecoin efficiency with existing merchant acceptance. European issuers operating under MiCA rules gain access to Visa’s global network while maintaining local compliance requirements for token issuance and card programs.