Visa has introduced the Tokenised Asset Platform (VTAP), allowing financial institutions to create and manage fiat-backed tokens, including stablecoins and tokenized deposits.
Currently in a testing phase, Visa plans to support live programs next year as banks prepare for customer launches.
VTAP enables banks to incorporate tokens into smart contracts, which could automate complex processes like managing credit lines by triggering payments when conditions are met.
Visa emphasizes the platform’s interoperability across multiple blockchains, allowing banks to connect with various partners and clients through a single API.
BBVA, a Spanish bank, is already testing the platform’s capabilities, focusing on the issuance and management of bank tokens on a test blockchain.
They aim to launch a pilot program with select customers on the Ethereum blockchain in 2025. BBVA’s Francisco Maroto sees this collaboration as a pivotal step toward enhancing banking services and developing innovative financial solutions through blockchain technology.
Global banking heavyweight Banco Santander is quietly laying the groundwork to enter the stablecoin space, eyeing fiat-pegged digital tokens as part of a broader strategy to offer crypto services to retail clients.
Crypto exchange Bitget has introduced a new investment product, BGUSD, a yield-generating stable asset tied to real-world financial instruments like U.S. Treasury bills and top-tier money market funds.
A growing number of banks are quietly integrating Ripple’s blockchain infrastructure to improve cross-border transactions, opting for a hybrid model that doesn’t require replacing their legacy systems.
Several of America’s largest banks—including entities tied to JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo—are exploring the creation of a shared stablecoin, according to sources familiar with the discussions.