Four infrastructure leaders discuss how payment cards bridge mainstream crypto adoption. Panelists from Polygon, Stellar, Visa, and Pi Squared share distinct strategies: Polygon focuses LATAM peer-to-peer volume; Stellar leverages batteries-included payments infrastructure; Visa integrates stablecoins into its merchant network; Pi Squared explores alternative non-blockchain payment infrastructure.
A panel of infrastructure leaders examines payment cards as the bridge to mainstream stablecoin adoption. Polygon processes 60% of LATAM stablecoin volume in sub-$100 everyday payments. Stellar moved $5.4B in Q3 payments through partnerships with issuers like Wirex and USDC. Visa is integrating stablecoins into its 150M merchant network via stablecoin-linked cards, removing the need for direct merchant acceptance of crypto. Panelists agree: payment cards succeed because they combine familiarity with differentiation—settlement speed, yield features, and credit modes that traditional financial products don't offer. The key barrier to scale is not innovation but integration with legacy infrastructure.
