Visa Taps Aquanow to Scale Stablecoin Settlements Across CEMEA

Visa Inc. V recently partnered with Aquanow to expand its stablecoin-based settlement infrastructure across the Central-Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) region. Under the deal, Aquanow’s digital-asset infrastructure is integrated into Visa’s technology stack, enabling issuers and acquirers on the Visa network to settle transactions using approved stablecoins like USDC.

With this move, Visa aims to reduce the time, cost and operational friction associated with traditional cross-border and fiat-based settlement. The deal lets parties settle funds quickly, potentially around the clock, removing delays tied to legacy banking systems, time-zone differences, or traditional intermediaries.

This is important because stablecoins, digital tokens pegged to fiat currencies, promise near-instant settlement, lower overheads, and more predictable cash flows than legacy payment rails. For Visa, this means modernizing the “back end” of money movement, making sure funds can travel globally, securely and efficiently. Monthly stablecoin settlement volume has accelerated to a rate that implies over $2.5 billion in annualized activity.

This move, along with previous pilots in which Visa enabled businesses to pre-fund payouts using stablecoins, will bolster Visa’s margins over time. Faster settlements reduce operational and liquidity costs. Crypto-settlement rails could attract new clients like banks, neobanks and fintechs seeking cheaper cross-border flows, expanding Visa’s addressable market. And as stablecoin adoption grows, Visa’s role as a global settlement hub strengthens, potentially translating into more transaction volume, recurring settlement fees, and a competitive advantage versus legacy-only payment firms.

Where Competitors Stand in the Stablecoin Push?

Peers like Mastercard Incorporated MA and American Express Company AXP aren’t sitting still as the stablecoin wave accelerates.

Mastercard stepped up its efforts in April 2025 by rolling out a full suite of tools that support stablecoin-based transactions. The company joined the Paxos-backed Global Dollar Network, giving its partner institutions the ability to mint, redeem and circulate USDG within that ecosystem. American Express is moving more cautiously but remains active. It teamed up with Coinbase to launch a crypto-linked credit card that lets users earn rewards tied to digital-asset spending. While AmEx is exploring blockchain and stablecoins, its strategy is far more measured than that of its peers.

Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Shares of Visa have gained 5.6% year to date, outperforming the broader industry but underperforming the S&P 500 Index.

Visa YTD Price Performance

From a valuation standpoint, Visa trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25.52X, up from the industry average of 20.32X. Visa carries a Value Score of D.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies an 11.7% rise year over year, followed by 13.3% growth next year.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research