Visa expands stablecoin reach as StraitsX card GTV tops $6b

It enables international card issuance using existing merchant infrastructure, subject to local compliance rules.

Financial technology company StraitsX has partnered with Visa to expand its payment card issuing infrastructure to more than 100 markets globally.

The agreement allows fintech companies, digital payment token service providers, and digital wallet operators to issue Visa cards backed by stablecoin balances.

Transactions made with these cards will process through Visa’s existing merchant acceptance network, subject to local regulatory and compliance requirements.

The expansion follows growth in StraitsX’s Asian operations, where the firm reported reaching an annualised card gross transaction value (GTV) of over $6b across its stablecoin-backed card programmes.

Under the partnership, stablecoins will handle the underlying funding and settlement processes, while consumers use standard Visa payment credentials to complete transactions.

The companies stated that the integrated system includes risk mitigation measures designed to address money-laundering and terrorism financing risks.

Tianwei Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of StraitsX, said expanding issuing capabilities globally allows the firm to bring its Asian infrastructure to businesses scaling card programmes in new international markets.

Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products and Partnerships at Visa, said the collaboration aims to connect stablecoin technology with real-world payment flows using Visa's global network.

StraitsX operates as a stablecoin-native settlement layer, providing infrastructure for digital asset payments, settlement flows, and cross-border commercial transactions.