Circle Stock Rallies as Visa Rolls Out USDC Settlement on Solana

Circle stock moved higher on Tuesday after Visa confirmed the launch of USDC settlement in the United States. Investors reacted to clearer revenue visibility tied to stablecoin settlement activity and deeper integration into the U.S. payments system.

Circle Stock Jumps as Visa Rolls Out USDC Settlement

The compnay announcement triggered a sharp market reaction. Circle stock rose 10.07% over the past day. While Circle stock is trading near $83.04 as of press time.

Visa said U.S. issuer and acquirer partners can now settle transactions using Circle’s USDC stablecoin. The asset is fully reserved and dollar-backed. Settlement takes place directly within Visa’s network. The update strengthened sentiment around Circle stock and highlighted growing stablecoin use in regulated payment infrastructure.

Cross River Bank and Lead Bank are two initial banks that have signed on. Both banks have already started settling with Visa in USDC on the Solana blockchain. Visa said more bank partners will join in waves. Broader access should be available through 2026.

The model of settlement permits seven-day settlement periods. It enhances institutions’ liquidity managing ability as well. Visa said its framework links traditional payment rails with blockchain infrastructure. The program had achieved over $3.5 billion in annualized run rate as of Nov. 30, according to company disclosures.

Visa executives framed the expansion as one driven by demand. Banking partners are still set to utilize stablecoins in live transactions, said Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships. The firm sees settlement modernisation as a strategic foundation investment rather than an experimental product.

Circle Advances Infrastructure as Visa Backs Arc and USDC

Visa also revealed a more extensive technical relationship with Circle. The payments company will serve as a design partner for Arc Circle’s Layer 1 blockchain currently in public testnet. Once the network launches, Visa will utilize Arc for USDC settlement and it will run a validator node.

The leadership at Circle described the move as infrastructure progress. Nikhil Chandhok, chief product and technology officer at the company, said the integration enables financial institutions to modernize their treasury workflows. Programmable settlement also reduces friction across payment operations, he added.

Visa first piloted the USDC settlement in 2021. In 2023, it became one of the earliest global payment networks to clear transactions in a stablecoin. Since then, the company has added support for a range of blockchains and stablecoins. 

Meanwhile, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted conditional approval on December 12, 2025. The newly granted approval paves the way for Circle to create First National Digital Currency Bank. Upon full authorization, the bank would oversee its management of the USDC reserve for Circle’s U.S. issuer.

The regulatory approval adds to Circle’s business model. It is also GENIUS Act July 2025 Compliant. The news helped propel CRCL stock higher, as its USDC reach grows.