Visa Partners With Aquanow to Expand Stablecoin Settlement Across CEMEA Region

Quick Breakdown

• Visa partners with Aquanow to expand USDC stablecoin settlement across CEMEA, improving cross-border efficiency.
• Aquanow’s infrastructure converts fiat to stablecoins, enabling faster treasury management and continuous cross-border flows.
• The expansion comes after 2023 trials showed stablecoins cut multi-intermediary delays with Visa’s CEMEA rails now handling over $2.5 billion yearly.

Visa Expands Stablecoin Settlement Across CEMEA

Visa has taken another step toward merging digital assets with global payment infrastructure after confirming a new partnership with Aquanow to expand stablecoin settlement across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA).

Aquanow’s Phil Sham and Visa’s Godfrey Sullivan. Source: Aquanow press release

The partnership will let banks, fintechs, and payment processors connected to Visa’s network in these regions settle their obligations using USDC, a step the company says will ease bottlenecks in cross-border payments.

Through the integration, Aquanow’s digital-asset systems are being linked directly to Visa’s settlement architecture. This connection allows institutions to move funds over blockchain rails rather than depending on traditional correspondent banking paths that can delay transfers.

Visa said the move is aimed at creating a faster and more adaptable settlement system for markets where liquidity challenges and foreign-exchange volatility often disrupt smooth transactions.

It added that a major benefit of the upgrade is a 365-day settlement. Instead of waiting for banking hours or local clearing schedules, institutions in CEMEA can settle transactions anytime using crypto payments for business.

The upgrade also improves intraday liquidity as it allows institutions to manage treasury flows in real time without relying on cutoff windows. Aquanow’s liquidity engine plays a primary role in this by facilitating fiat-to-crypto onramp using stablecoins and then offramp crypto to fiat as institutions close daily positions, providing continuous cross-border flow.

Visa explained that the decision to expand stablecoin settlement into CEMEA follows a sharp rise in usage during earlier trials that started in 2023. The company said those pilots helped institutions see how stablecoins reduce delays that usually stretch across multiple intermediaries.

Visa’s Expanding Stablecoin Rails

Visa reports its stablecoin rails are already processing activity exceeding a $2.5 billion annualized volume, reflecting steady demand from banks and payment firms seeking alternatives to slower legacy systems. Executives from both firms said stablecoins are becoming a practical tool for institutions seeking predictable settlement and faster back-end operations.

Commenting on the partnership, Visa’s Head of Product and Solutions for CEMEA, Godfrey Sullivan, said, “The partnership with Aquanow is another important step in modernizing back-end rails, reducing reliance on traditional systems with multiple intermediaries, and preparing institutions for the future of money movement.”

He clarified the goal, adding, “By harnessing the power of stablecoins and combining them with our trusted global technology, we are enabling financial institutions in CEMEA to experience faster and simpler settlements.”

Aquanow’s CEO, Phil Sham, also added, “Visa’s reliable global network has long moved money securely and efficiently. Together, Visa and Aquanow are opening new ways for institutions to engage in the digital economy, leveraging stablecoin technology to settle with internet-like speed and transparency.”

With the CEMEA rollout underway, Visa implies an expectation for more institutions in the region to adopt digital-asset settlement as they look for faster, cheaper, and more transparent ways to move value globally.

Aquanow Targets Africa’s Payment Bottlenecks With Institutional-Grade Tech

Aquanow highlighted that Sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag in both payment speed and transaction costs, with B2B payments often taking more than a full business day to clear and fees remaining above global averages.

The firm noted that these delays are often due to how regional payments must be routed. Citing African Development Bank data, the company said more than 80% of cross-border transfers from African banks still move offshore before reaching their final destination. This long chain of intermediaries adds cost, time, and friction to payments that could be simpler.

Against this backdrop, Aquanow said its digital-asset infrastructure suits regions like Africa, where businesses already take a practical approach to stablecoin use.

The firm believes this readiness to use predictable digital dollars makes markets like Africa a natural fit for blockchain-enabled settlement systems that shorten payment paths and reduce transaction time. Aquanow’s platform is notable for how it links fragmented digital-asset markets to traditional financial needs.

Aquanow wrote, “The continent’s digital payment transformation is built not from the last mile up, but from the enterprise layer outward,” a philosophy matching its strategy of plugging technology directly into the operational core of banks, processors, and payment networks.

Through this mix of technical depth, integrative design, and enterprise-focused APIs, Aquanow is positioning itself to scale across CEMEA, building on market realities it observed across Africa.

Visa’s Strategic Model Strengthens CEMEA Crypto-Finance Adoption

Visa’s partnership becomes even more significant because it arrives as major institutions deepen stablecoin adoption and begin closing the gap between traditional finance and crypto-finance through blockchain settlement.

The aim is clear: they want global commerce to move faster and more transparently at the infrastructure level.

Across the industry, major firms are pushing this transition in different ways. Ripple is expanding On-Demand Liquidity corridors, Circle is scaling USDC adoption across regulated environments, and Mastercard is building a Multi-Token Network for tokenized deposits and regulated stablecoins. These efforts show how top payment companies are moving toward blockchain settlement.

Visa’s approach, however, strengthens its position in CEMEA. Rather than building standalone blockchain networks or relying on prebuilt platforms, Visa is combining its global reach with Aquanow’s digital-asset infrastructure.

Conclusion

Instead of just enabling stablecoin payouts or merchant settlements, Visa and Aquanow are equipping financial institutions, payment firms, and regional operators with digital-asset technology that can drive long-term economic growth.

It lowers cross-border costs, boosts liquidity access, and provides regulated pathways for institutions entering stablecoin rails. In fragmented markets, this combination offers a strong foundation for improvement.

As stablecoin adoption grows and institutional crypto infrastructure matures, Visa gains an edge. It is not only adopting blockchain for settlement, but it is also deploying it in a way that reshapes value movement across CEMEA and, eventually, the global economy.