Visa launches stablecoin platform, taking the opposite path to Stripe

Visa has officially launched the Visa Stablecoin Platform (VSP), an enterprise-grade environment designed to facilitate the minting, redemption, holding, and transfer of stablecoins for financial institutions and fintech firms. The platform debuts with support for Open USD (OUSD), a consortium-backed stablecoin supported by over 140 partners, including Visa itself. By offering a wallet-as-a-service feature and robust operational controls like dual-approval workflows, Visa aims to simplify the technical complexities of stablecoin integration for traditional banks. This move signifies a strategic decision by Visa to maintain its historical role as a provider of payment rails and risk management infrastructure rather than acting as an issuer of currency. This approach contrasts sharply with competitors like Stripe, which have recently pursued different strategies for integrating stablecoin payments. By positioning itself as the underlying infrastructure layer, Visa is effectively bridging the gap between legacy financial systems and the growing stablecoin ecosystem. The launch of VSP represents a significant step in institutionalizing stablecoin adoption by providing a familiar, regulated-style framework for global money movement.