BVNK Secures Direct SEPA Access & BVNK to Deliver Stablecoin Infrastructure for Visa Direct Pilot Programs
BVNK Secures Direct SEPA Access & BVNK to Deliver Stablecoin Infrastructure for Visa Direct Pilot Programs
This week, BVNK featured in two closely linked developments spanning European payment rails and global money movement infrastructure, highlighting how stablecoins are being integrated into both instant fiat settlement and large-scale payout networks.
1. Direct SEPA access:
BVNK secured direct access to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) through the Bank of Lithuania’s CENTROlink system, enabling instant euro payments without relying on intermediary banks. The connection allows euro transactions to settle in under 10 seconds, with most completing in under five seconds, and enables continuous, 24/7 payment availability.
SEPA Integration: Operational Impact on Euro Payments
Direct Participation in SEPA via CENTROlink: The integration provides BVNK with direct scheme access, removing intermediary layers and allowing greater control over settlement speed, uptime, and processing standards for euro payments.
Unified Fiat and Stablecoin Settlement Layer: Customers can move between traditional EUR payment rails and blockchain-based settlement within a single platform, reducing operational fragmentation across payment types.
Performance and Automation Targets: The SEPA connection has completed pilot testing and is production-ready, with expectations that 96% of payments will be fully automated by end-2026 and payout success rates will exceed 95%.
Geographic Rollout Plan: The service is rolling out across EU and global customers, with availability for the UK and US planned as subsequent phases.
2. Visa Direct stablecoin pilots:
Separately, BVNK has been selected to provide stablecoin infrastructure for pilot programs within Visa Direct, supporting stablecoin-based funding and payouts in approved markets. The pilots extend Visa Direct’s capabilities beyond fiat-only flows by allowing certain business users to pre-fund and distribute payouts using stablecoins.
Visa Direct Pilots: Stablecoins in Global Payout Flows
Stablecoin pre-funding and payouts: The pilots enable selected business customers to fund Visa Direct payouts using stablecoins and allow end recipients to receive funds directly in stablecoins, rather than fiat only.
Integration into an existing money movement network: BVNK’s infrastructure supports stablecoin functionality within Visa Direct’s global payout framework, which processes large-scale cross-border and domestic disbursements.
Continuation of an existing commercial relationship: The pilot programs build on a prior strategic relationship, following an investment made by Visa Ventures in 2025 and expanding Visa Direct’s experimentation with stablecoin settlement layers.
Market-specific rollout: Initial deployment is focused on regions with demonstrated demand for digital asset payments, with broader expansion dependent on regulatory readiness and customer adoption.
Why It Matters
Taken together, the two developments show stablecoins being positioned not only as an alternative settlement asset, but as an operational layer integrated into regulated instant payment schemes and established global payout networks. The SEPA connection addresses euro-denominated speed and reliability, while the Visa Direct pilots test how stablecoins can coexist with existing money movement infrastructure at scale.
