Visa Backs Stablecoin Startup BVNK in Latest Crypto Payments Bet

Global payments giant Visa has made a strategic investment in BVNK, a London-based startup specializing in stablecoin infrastructure, underscoring its ongoing commitment to digital asset innovation.

BVNK announced the investment on May 7, noting that the backing came through Visa Ventures, the company’s investment division.

While financial terms were not disclosed, BVNK characterized the move as “more than capital,” hinting at a broader strategic partnership.

The startup’s CEO, Jesse Hemson-Struthers, described the collaboration as a significant milestone. “Partnering with Visa—the original payments innovator—is incredibly exciting,” Hemson-Struthers said.

“Their global expertise in building payment networks, combined with our stablecoin infrastructure, opens up powerful possibilities for the future of digital commerce.”

Visa Exec Says Stablecoins Are Becoming Key to Global Finance

Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s head of products and partnerships, added that stablecoins are quickly becoming an integral part of global financial flows. “Visa invests in forward-thinking companies like BVNK who are building what’s next in commerce,” he said.

Founded in London, BVNK is positioning itself as a key player in bridging traditional finance with digital currencies.

The investment follows a $50 million Series B funding round the company closed in late 2024, led by Haun Ventures.

Notable participants included Coinbase Ventures, Scribble Ventures, DRW VC, and returning backers Avenir and Tiger Global. At the time, BVNK’s valuation stood at approximately $750 million.

With plans to expand into the U.S. market, BVNK aims to establish local banking infrastructure and secure operational licenses to serve American businesses.

Its U.S. offices are expected to support this push by facilitating regulatory compliance and deepening institutional relationships.

Visa’s interest in crypto payments has grown steadily. In October 2024, the company announced a collaboration with Coinbase, enabling users with eligible Visa debit cards to make instant deposits and withdrawals.

That same month, Visa also introduced its Tokenized Asset Platform—a system designed to streamline the issuance and management of tokenized assets, including stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and central bank digital currencies.

Companies Expand into Crypto Payments

Last week, crypto payments platform Mesh announced an Apple Pay integration, allowing partnered merchants to accept crypto payments through Apple’s familiar interface.

The feature, revealed during a live demo at Token2049 by CEO Bam Azizi, will launch later in Q2 and is designed to simplify crypto payments without requiring merchants to build their own infrastructure.

The platform enables users to pay with major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana, while merchants receive stablecoin settlements in USDC, USDT, or PYUSD using Mesh’s SmartFunding technology.

Mesh’s announcement comes amid a broader wave of payment firms expanding into digital assets.

Stripe recently unveiled plans for a USD-backed stablecoin following its acquisition of Bridge, while former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Lightspark’s David Marcus have urged mainstream apps to integrate Bitcoin payments.

Likewise, Circle is teaming up with Onafriq to introduce USDC as a low-cost, digital alternative for cross-border payments.

The push toward integrating crypto in everyday transactions is also gaining traction globally.

Singapore’s Triple-A is adding PayPal’s stablecoin to its offerings, and PayPal itself has launched its own digital asset with incentives.

Amin Ayan

Amin Ayan is a seasoned crypto journalist with over four years of industry experience. His work has been featured in top publications including Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. With a background in engineering, Amin brings a technical edge to his reporting and enjoys exploring the intersections of blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital media.