Visa Inc. teams up with crypto fintech Aquanow to bring stablecoin settlement capabilities to Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions.
By José Rafael Peña Gholam
Editor Marco T. Lanz
Updated
2 mins read
Visa Inc. announced a partnership with crypto fintech company Aquanow on November 27 to extend stablecoin settlement options across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMA).
According to the announcement, the deal links Visa’s payment network to Aquanow’s digital asset infrastructure, enabling issuers and acquirers to use stablecoins such as USDC USDC $1.00 24h volatility: 0.0% Market cap: $76.03 B Vol. 24h: $4.78 B for transactions. This setup will cut costs and speed up processes for financial institutions handling cross-border flows.
Aquanow x Visa – Stablecoins Enter The Financial Mainstream.@Visa has selected @Aquanow to expand stablecoin settlement across CEMEA, enabling issuers and acquirers to settle with approved stablecoins like USDC.
Faster cycles. Lower friction. 365-day settlement.
Pilot →… pic.twitter.com/twyDRi4cSg
— Aquanow (@aquanow) November 26, 2025
The CEMEA rollout meets demand for round-the-clock settlements without traditional bank delays. Visa piloted USDC settlements in 2023, as announced at the end of 2020, and is now at a $2.5 billion annualized monthly run rate, according to the press release.
Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s CEMEA product head, called it a step to update payment rails in the region. Aquanow CEO Phil Sham noted the combo brings internet-speed transparency to institutional flows with stablecoin technology.
CEO of Aquanow, Phil Sham, and Head of product and solutions of Visa CEMEA, Godfrey Sullivan. Source: Visa
Visa Inc. ramped up stablecoin efforts in 2025. In September, it started a prefund pilot via Visa Direct for cross-border business payments using stablecoins. Then, in November, it brought pilots for fiat-to-stablecoin payouts to creators and gig workers, plus added support for USDG, PYUSD, EURC, Stellar XLM $0.25 24h volatility: 2.8% Market cap: $8.20 B Vol. 24h: $180.24 M , and Avalanche AVAX $15.10 24h volatility: 4.3% Market cap: $6.48 B Vol. 24h: $466.72 M .
Also, the stablecoin supply topped $300 billion in 2025 and is currently close to $305 billion despite the dip in the crypto market, according to DefiLlama. USDT USDT $1.00 24h volatility: 0.0% Market cap: $184.56 B Vol. 24h: $80.49 B and USDC hold the majority of the market, with 60% and 25% dominance, respectively. Growth stems from regulatory nods such as the GENIUS Act and MiCA, as well as demand for quick transfers in emerging markets.
Graph of total market cap for stablecoins. Source: DefiLlama
Traditional financial firms gain from lower friction in a region with high cross-border volume. Stablecoins now rival parts of Visa’s transaction volume, reaching $6 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This fits with Visa’s push into blockchain technologies and the tendency that began in 2020 and continues to this day.
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
José Rafael Peña Gholam is a cryptocurrency journalist and editor with 9 years of experience in the industry. He wrote at top outlets like CriptoNoticias, BeInCrypto, and CoinDesk. Specializing in Bitcoin, blockchain, and Web3, he creates news, analysis, and educational content for global audiences in both Spanish and English.
