Stablecoin Payments Rise as Mastercard, Stripe and Visa Link Systems

Mastercard, Stripe and Visa announced services this week connecting stablecoins with traditional payment systems. Stablecoin payments reached $482 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 45% from a year earlier, according to blockchain analytics firm Allium.

The number of payments climbed 71% to more than 1 billion, while the value of stablecoins in circulation stood at about $305 billion at September’s end. That was up 0.4% since the start of the year, Allium said.

Mastercard introduced its Global Money Platform with BVNK, combining traditional currency accounts and stablecoin balances with conversions, card spending and bank payouts. Payment firms Nuvei and Marqeta are among the first customers integrating the service.

Stripe is working with Plasma on cards that support balances in several national currencies and eligible stablecoins. The companies plan to let customers spend from the balance matching their purchase. Stripe’s expanded card infrastructure covers more than 30 countries, with plans to reach over 100 by next year.

Visa said Inyo Global became the first provider to put its Visa Direct stablecoin prefunding service into commercial use. Payment firms can use Circle’s USDC to fund cross-border payouts in nearly real time, while recipients can still receive money through conventional payment channels.

Allium’s estimate excludes many raw stablecoin transfers, including exchange, decentralized finance and automated activity. It classified $2.4 trillion of $97.9 trillion in transfers through September as end-user activity, and estimated stablecoin card spending was 0.03% of Visa’s payment volume in the second quarter.