Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot targets 7-day cross-border payments
Visa is testing whether stablecoins can settle payments every single day of the week, weekends and holidays included, in a pilot that could reshape how banks move money across borders. The card network has partnered with cross-border payments firm Nium for a trial under Singapore’s BLOOM initiative, aiming to prove that regulated stablecoins can close the gaps left by traditional banking hours. The Visa stablecoin settlement pilot marks the company’s first project inside the framework run by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and it signals a deeper push by major payment networks to build settlement rails that never really close.
Key takeaways
- Visa has selected Nium as its first partner for a pilot under Singapore’s BLOOM initiative, testing seven-day settlement using regulated USD and euro-backed stablecoins.
- The trial aims to allow settlements on weekends and public holidays, something traditional banking-day cycles do not support.
- BLOOM is a Monetary Authority of Singapore program designed to connect existing payment systems with stablecoin rails while preserving compliance and security controls.
- The pilot targets settlement infrastructure between institutions, not the way customers initiate transactions.
- Visa and Nium have not disclosed a launch date, participating institutions beyond themselves, or expected transaction volumes.
Visa and Nium Launch Pilot for Seven-Day Stablecoin Settlement
The pilot is built to test whether regulated stablecoins can settle cross-border payment obligations without pausing for weekends or public holidays. Visa said the Monetary Authority of Singapore-led BLOOM program will examine how financial institutions can link conventional payment systems with stablecoin payment rails while keeping existing security and compliance controls intact. Nium becomes Visa’s first partner chosen for this specific settlement experiment.
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