Visa has launched a pilot program in Kenya enabling businesses to use stablecoins to pre-fund cross-border payments via its Visa Direct platform, aiming to cut costs and ease liquidity pressures for financial institutions. This initiative targets banks, remittance providers, and other financial institutions for faster global payouts.

• Beneficiary: Kenya, where diaspora remittances are the largest source of foreign exchange, hitting Sh 680 billion ($4.5 billion) in 2024.
• Key Person: Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial and Money Movement Solutions at Visa.
• Timeline: Broader availability of the stablecoin integration is expected in 2026.