Solana Becomes Visa’s Payment Infrastructure of Choice
Visa’s selection of Solana as a payment infrastructure is far from arbitrary and meets precise technical criteria. The blockchain boasts a theoretical throughput of 65,000 transactions per second and average transaction fees below $0.01. These are performance metrics that contrast sharply with Ethereum, where costs can fluctuate significantly depending on network congestion. Transaction finality on Solana meets the rapid confirmation requirements necessary for interbank settlements.
Visa had already tested stablecoin settlements on Ethereum in 2021, then expanded its experiments to other chains. The shift to Solana demonstrates a deliberate multi-chain strategy. Indeed, each blockchain is evaluated based on its actual performance rather than its market capitalization. Circle’s USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar with audited reserves, constitutes the vehicle for this payment infrastructure.
For participating US banks, this solution offers a tangible operational advantage. It enables settling transactions outside traditional banking system operating hours. A standard bank wire transfer initiated on Friday evening typically requires two to three business days to finalize. With stablecoin settlement on Solana, that same transaction can be executed and confirmed within seconds, weekends included.
Strategic Positioning Against New Payment Infrastructures
This announcement comes at a time when traditional payment players are accelerating their crypto pivot. Mastercard is also exploring digital asset settlements, while PayPal has launched its own stablecoin PYUSD. Visa demonstrates a pragmatic approach here: rather than creating its own token, the network relies on USDC, already widely adopted with a market cap exceeding $40 billion.
Anchorage Digital, which provides custody and technical integration, benefits from a federal banking charter granted by the OCC, ensuring a solid regulatory framework for participating institutions. This regulatory compliance constitutes an essential prerequisite for US banks subject to strict oversight of their crypto-asset operations.
The initiative aligns with Visa’s long-term vision to progressively transform its payment infrastructure. Stablecoins represent a natural bridge between fiat currency and digital assets, offering the stability of traditional currencies with the technical efficiency of blockchains. For the US banking sector, this settlement option paves the way for new customer services, particularly for international transfers where current delays and costs remain prohibitive.
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