Visa Expands Blockchain Push Through OwlTing Partnership and Tempo Support

Visa has tested stablecoin settlement using USDC on Ethereum since 2021, allowing issuers and acquirers to settle VisaNet obligations over blockchain networks. The model could overcome the constraints of banking hours and cross-border transfers, providing a supplementary settlement channel for traditional payment networks.

Visa said on April 29, 2026, that it had added Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon and Tempo. Together with Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana and Stellar, the additions brought the number of supported networks to nine. Its annualized settlement run rate reached $7 billion, up 50% quarter on quarter. On June 4, Visa also began testing privacy-controlled institutional settlement on Canton with Brale using the US dollar stablecoin SBC.

Stablecoins can move quickly onchain, but users still need regulated accounts, card issuance and merchant networks for everyday purchases and cross-border payments. Visa is therefore partnering with WeFi, co-founded by Tether co-founder Reeve Collins, to connect DeFi with traditional payments infrastructure and target underbanked populations worldwide.

Visa and WeFi announced the partnership on April 28, 2026. They plan to offer onchain accounts with IBANs and stablecoin payment services, initially rolling them out region by region in selected markets across Europe, Asia and Latin America. The companies did not disclose the value of the partnership or an exact launch date. Further expansion will depend on local regulatory approvals, licensing and card-issuing partners.

Tempo is a Layer 1 blockchain launched by Stripe and Paradigm in September 2025 for real-time stablecoin payments and AI agent commerce. It raised $500 million in a Series A round the following October at a $5 billion valuation. Visa's move from using onchain settlement to operating an underlying network node itself marks more direct involvement by a traditional card network in payment infrastructure.

Visa announced on April 14, 2026, that its Tempo validator node was live after six months of collaboration with Tempo's engineering team. Independently configured and managed on Visa's own infrastructure, the node orders and confirms transactions and helps secure the network. Visa, Stripe and Standard Chartered Group's Zodia Custody are among the first external validators. No investment amount was disclosed for the partnership.