{"id":193267,"date":"2023-09-05T17:40:25","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T17:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/?p=193267"},"modified":"2023-09-05T17:40:25","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T17:40:25","slug":"visa-expands-its-usd-coin-usdc-settlement-capabilities-to-solana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/crypto\/visa-expands-its-usd-coin-usdc-settlement-capabilities-to-solana\/","title":{"rendered":"Visa Expands its USD Coin ($USDC) Settlement Capabilities to Solana"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global payments giant Visa has announced its latest move to modernize cross-border financial transactions. <\/p>\n

What Is USD Coin (USDC)?<\/h2>\n

USDC, or USD Coin, is a type of stablecoin that is pegged to the U.S. dollar. Each USDC token is meant to be equivalent to one U.S. dollar, held in reserve by regulated financial institutions. The primary purpose of USDC is to offer the stability of the U.S. dollar while benefiting from the operational advantages of a cryptocurrency, such as fast transactions, low fees, and 24\/7 availability.<\/p>\n

Stablecoins like USDC are often used for various purposes within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, including:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Trading<\/strong>: They provide a stable asset to trade against volatile cryptocurrencies.<\/li>\n
  2. Payments<\/strong>: For quick and low-cost transactions, especially cross-border ones.<\/li>\n
  3. DeFi<\/strong>: Used in decentralized finance applications for lending, borrowing, or earning interest.<\/li>\n
  4. Settlements<\/strong>: For settling transactions between different parties efficiently.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    USDC is an ERC-20 token, which means it operates on the Ethereum blockchain, but it is also available on other blockchains like Solana, as mentioned in Visa\u2019s press release.<\/p>\n

    Visa\u2019s Support for Solana-Powered USDC<\/h2>\n

    According to Visa\u2019s press release, the company is extending its stablecoin settlement capabilities to the Solana blockchain and its existing support for Ethereum. This expansion is part of a collaboration with merchant acquirers Worldpay and Nuvei.<\/p>\n

    Visa has already conducted live pilot programs, transferring millions of USDC stablecoins between its partners over both the Solana and Ethereum blockchain networks. These transactions settled fiat-denominated payments authorized via Visa\u2019s global payment network, VisaNet.<\/p>\n

    The company says its treasury and settlement systems handle the clearing, settlement, and movement of billions of dollars in transactions daily. This occurs between nearly 15,000 financial institutions and across more than 25 different currencies globally. Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto at Visa, emphasized that the company is committed to leveraging stablecoins and blockchain networks to improve the speed and efficiency of cross-border settlements.<\/p>\n

    Here is why what Visa is saying matters:<\/p>\n