Visa: "In the Stablecoin Era, We Will Serve as Payments Infrastructure"

Stablecoins Driving Innovation in Existing Payment and Settlement Structures
"Regulatory Clarity as a Factor Enhancing Market Trust"

Global payments company Visa has announced a strategy to serve as a payments and settlement infrastructure provider in line with rapidly growing worldwide demand for stablecoins.

Nishant Sanghavi, Head of Digital Currency, Asia Pacific at Visa

On the 12th, Nishant Sanghavi, Head of Digital Currency, Asia Pacific at Visa, said at the seminar titled "Visa's Strategy and Role Amid the Expansion of Stablecoins and Regulatory Changes," held at Mirae Asset Center One in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul, "Stablecoins do not replace existing payment and settlement structures, but rather extend and supplement them to fit the digital environment," adding, "Visa will play the role of a neutral global payments infrastructure provider within the stablecoin ecosystem."

Stablecoins have a structure in which payment initiation and settlement occur almost simultaneously, helping to address the limitations of intermediary steps inherent in the traditional financial system. As a result, the overall flexibility and scalability of payment infrastructure are increasing, and observers say that, beyond simple speed improvements, the payment structure itself is gradually evolving.

Sanghavi said, "Consumers can use stablecoins at Visa-accepting merchants while maintaining their existing card payment experience, and financial institutions and corporations can explore more flexible ways of moving funds and settling transactions," adding, "Based on its data analytics and consulting capabilities, Visa will help financial institutions assess how they can use stablecoins and support them in designing directions that fit their respective businesses."

Sanghavi noted that global demand for stablecoins is surging, but that use cases differ depending on market conditions. He said, "Discussions on stablecoin regulation are gradually becoming more concrete, particularly in the United States and Europe," adding, "These institutional developments are serving as a global benchmark for discussions in the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea."

He went on to say, "In developed markets, stablecoins are used as a key means of cryptocurrency trading and accessing capital markets, while in emerging markets they are being used as a dollar-based store of value and as a means of accessing cross-border payments," stressing that "regulatory clarity is a positive factor that enhances market trust and scalability."

Lastly, Sanghavi outlined Visa's strategic role amid the changing payments landscape. He emphasized, "Visa does not issue stablecoins directly, nor does it endorse any particular chain or issuer," adding, "Within the regulatory framework, we will support various stablecoins so that they can be integrated with existing payment networks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.