Visa reports over $1 billion in crypto spending in H1 2021

Payment giant Visa will continue connecting the crypto economy to its “network of networks” to support the broader digital transformation of financial services.

Global payments giant Visa will continue to support the development and adoption of the cryptocurrency industry as part of its business, the company said in its latest crypto update.

In an official statement on Wednesday, Visa announced that its crypto-enabled cards processed more than $1 billion in total spending in the first half of 2021.

The company noted that Visa is partnering with 50 major companies in the crypto industry as well as crypto card programs enabling users to convert and spend digital currency at 70 million merchants worldwide. Given the size of spending on Visa crypto-linked cards, the company said that “it’s clear that the crypto community sees value in linking digital currencies to Visa’s global network.”

Visa emphasized that its digital currency support does not require global merchants to accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) directly though. As previously reported, Visa has been working with major crypto players like cryptocurrency exchange platform Crypto.com to enable a crypto settlement system for fiat transactions. The company has also been closely working with other major crypto companies like FTX exchange, Coinbase, CoinZoom, and others.

The firm also stated that stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of other assets or fiat currencies like the United States dollar — are “starting to live up the promise of digital fiat,” outlining its developer-friendly features combined with the reliability of fiat-backed reserves. “Stablecoins are on track to become an important part of the broader digital transformation of financial services, and Visa is excited to help shape and support that development,” the company wrote, adding:

“We’ve been busy at Visa, connecting the crypto economy to our ‘network-of-networks,’ a strategy designed to add value to all forms of money movement, whether on the Visa network, or beyond.”

One of the world’s largest payment companies, Visa made a major move into the crypto industry last year, partnering with Goldman Sachs-backed blockchain company Circle in order to make its USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin compatible with certain credit cards. The company has since reaffirmed its commitment to crypto payments and fiat on-ramps, as well as its particular focus on stablecoin-based integrations.