Visa invests in BVNK as stablecoins gain global traction
Visa Ventures has made a strategic investment in BVNK, a leading provider of stablecoin payment infrastructure, signaling the payment giant’s deepening commitment to blockchain-based settlement technologies. The announcement was made by BVNK CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers, who described the partnership as both financial and strategic in nature.
- While financial terms remain undisclosed, the move follows BVNK’s $50 million Series B raise in December 2024.
- Previous backers include Haun Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Tiger Global, underlining growing institutional interest in the sector.
BVNK aims to modernize cross-border payments
BVNK positions its stablecoin infrastructure as a modern alternative to the correspondent banking system, citing high costs and inefficiency in the legacy model. The firm claims to process $12 billion in annualized stablecoin transactions, with a focus on automated, high-volume payments.
- Hemson-Struthers emphasized that stablecoins enable instant global settlement, helping businesses bypass traditional bottlenecks.
- The infrastructure is built to scale, offering accessible payment rails for firms of all sizes, including those in underserved regions.
Visa sees stablecoins as the future of commerce
In its statement, Visa’s head of growth products, Rubail Birwadker, noted that stablecoins are becoming integral to global payment flows, prompting Visa to support innovative firms like BVNK. This aligns with Visa’s broader strategy to lead in emerging digital payment technologies.
- Visa’s commitment reflects a growing belief in stablecoins as reliable digital settlement assets.
- The investment positions BVNK as a key player in Visa’s long-term blockchain roadmap.
Latin American pilots show stablecoin practicality
Visa’s recent collaboration with Bridge, a Stripe-acquired startup, adds further context to its strategy. The project, launched in six Latin American countries, enables users to fund Visa cards with stablecoins, which are automatically converted to local fiat at checkout.
- This removes crypto volatility risk for merchants while offering consumers a frictionless payment experience.
- Bridge’s CEO called the product a “massive unlock,” suggesting that stablecoins could soon rival traditional banking rails in functionality.
U.S. expansion and leadership boost BVNK’s ambitions
BVNK is also expanding into the U.S. market, with new offices in San Francisco and New York. The team includes veterans like Amit Cheela (ex-BlockFi) and Keith Vander Leest (ex-Cross River), bringing seasoned leadership to its growth efforts.
- The U.S. expansion aims to position BVNK closer to key institutional partners and fintech ecosystems.
- Strategic hires point to a deliberate effort to scale regulatory and operational capabilities in a complex market.
Stablecoins poised to reshape global finance
Data from Visa’s Onchain Analytics shows over $33.4 trillion in stablecoin volume across 5.5 billion transactions, underlining their growing role in payments beyond speculative use. Analysts expect this trajectory to accelerate as regulatory clarity improves.
- Dragonfly Capital’s Haseeb Qureshi predicts 2025 could be a breakthrough year, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.
- Pantera Capital echoes this, calling stablecoins a “trillion-dollar opportunity”, now powering over 50% of all blockchain activity—a massive jump from 3% in 2020.
Strategic validation for BVNK’s long-term vision
For BVNK, Visa’s investment acts as both capital support and a strategic endorsement of its mission. Hemson-Struthers emphasized that partnering with Visa reflects a shared goal to reinvent payments infrastructure through stablecoins.
- He highlighted Visa’s history as a “payments innovator,” suggesting the partnership blends legacy network experience with Web3 scalability.
- With Visa’s global footprint and BVNK’s robust infrastructure, the collaboration could accelerate mainstream adoption of stablecoin payments.
