StraitsX expands stablecoin-backed card issuing to 100 markets

StraitsX is expanding its stablecoin-backed card issuing infrastructure to more than 100 markets through a partnership with Visa, extending digital-asset payment capabilities beyond its established Asian footprint.

The milestone extends StraitsX’s card issuing infrastructure beyond its established footprint in Asia, enabling the company to support eligible card issuance programmes globally and is subject to applicable regulatory, compliance and Visa requirements. This expanded capability is designed for fintechs, Digital Payment Token (DPT) service providers, wallets, and other businesses looking to build card programmes that connect stablecoin balances and digital asset payment flows with Visa’s global acceptance network.

From rapid growth in Asia to global card issuing

The expansion follows a period of significant growth for StraitsX’s card issuing business in Asia. StraitsX reached an annualised card GTV of more than $6 billion across its stablecoin-backed card programmes.

With the partnership with Visa, StraitsX can now extend the infrastructure and experience behind this growth to businesses building card programmes across global markets.

“Stablecoin-backed cards have become one of the clearest examples of how stablecoins can move beyond settlement and into everyday payments,” said Tianwei Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of StraitsX. “We have seen significant growth in this use case across Asia. Expanding our issuing capabilities globally allows us to bring the same infrastructure to businesses looking to build and scale card programmes across markets.”

Connecting stablecoins with global card acceptance

Stablecoin-backed cards provide a practical bridge between digital value and existing payment networks, allowing businesses to extend the utility of stablecoins without requiring merchants or consumers to adopt an entirely new payment experience.

StraitsX enables fintechs, DPT service providers and wallets to build card programmes where stablecoins can support the underlying funding and settlement flow, while cardholders continue to transact through familiar Visa credentials and its global acceptance network.

For businesses operating across multiple markets, this brings together stablecoin-native infrastructure and global card issuing capabilities through a single infrastructure partner.

This collaboration will also take into account the continuously evolving nature of money-laundering and terrorism financing typologies and ensure that such risks arising from this integration are properly mitigated.

“At Visa, we are focused on bringing the benefits of new payment technologies into the global financial system in a way that is secure, scalable and trusted,” said Rubail Birwadker, Global Head of Growth Products & Partnerships, Visa. Working closely with our partner, StraitsX, we are unlocking more ways to use stablecoins for real-world payment flows, while connecting them to the reach and reliability of Visa’s global network.”

Building global payment infrastructure on stablecoin rails

The expansion of StraitsX’s card issuing capabilities is part of a broader strategy to connect stablecoins with the financial and payment infrastructure businesses already use today.

Beyond card issuing, StraitsX provides stablecoin-native infrastructure for payments and settlement, enabling businesses to move and use digital value across markets. As new forms of commerce emerge, including payments initiated by AI agents, StraitsX is building the infrastructure to connect these new payment flows with existing financial networks.

By expanding its Visa card issuing capabilities globally, StraitsX is extending this infrastructure to businesses looking to launch and scale stablecoin-backed card programmes across markets.

Re-disseminated by Wealth and Society