Stablecoin News: Visa Expands USDC Settlement as CLARITY Act Markup Nears

Stablecoin news moved higher in April 2026 as Visa expanded its blockchain settlement infrastructure and U.S. lawmakers advanced regulatory discussions. The development came as institutions increased stablecoin usage for payments and liquidity management. At the same time, policymakers worked to finalize the CLARITY Act, aiming to define rules for digital assets.

Visa Adds Five Networks to USDC Settlement Program

Visa has expanded its stablecoin settlement program with five additional blockchain networks. The new additions include Base, Polygon, Arc, Canton, and Tempo. The update brings the number of supported networks in Visa’s stablecoin settlement program to nine.

The company already worked with networks such as Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and Stellar. With the latest expansion, Visa is increasing its stablecoin infrastructure across multiple blockchain ecosystems. The program focuses on USDC-based settlement flows and stablecoin-linked card programs across several countries.

Visa said the expansion supports institutional settlement, liquidity management, and programmable financial applications. The company is also extending access across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and U.S. financial institutions.

Rubail Birwadker, a Visa executive, said the company’s partners operate in a multi-chain environment and expect payment options that match that structure. The comment points to Visa’s plan to support settlement across different blockchain networks rather than depend on one chain.

USDC Settlement Activity Continues to Grow

Visa’s stablecoin settlement pilot has reached an annualized settlement value of $7 billion. The figure marked a 50% increase from the previous quarter. The update shows rising use of stablecoins in payment settlement, especially among firms testing blockchain-based financial rails.

The company’s stablecoin program uses USDC for settlement activity. USDC is a dollar-backed stablecoin used across several blockchain networks. Visa’s program allows clients and partners to settle value through blockchain infrastructure while keeping exposure tied to a dollar-denominated asset.

Base founder Jesse Pollak said Visa’s expansion marks a step toward making stablecoin payments more common in daily financial activity. Base is backed by Coinbase and has positioned itself as a network for faster and lower-cost on-chain transactions.

CLARITY Act Markup Moves Closer

The stablecoin news comes as lawmakers prepare for possible movement on the CLARITY Act. Senator Thom Tillis said he is ready to support advancing the bill to markup in the Senate Banking Committee. He also said he will ask committee chair Tim Scott to schedule the markup after lawmakers return from the May recess.

Tillis said lawmakers have made progress on the crypto bill. He added that it is time to bring the measure before the committee. His position matters because Senate Banking Committee Republicans have been working to secure support before moving the bill forward.

Senator Thom Tillis | CLARITY Act | Source: X

The senator had raised concerns about stablecoin yield provisions in the bill. Banks had warned that stablecoin rewards could pull deposits away from traditional lenders. Lawmakers have now addressed most of those concerns.

Stakeholders can still work with lawmakers in good faith. The updated stablecoin yield text could be released four to five days before the CLARITY Act markup. That timeline would give market participants and lawmakers a chance to review the language before committee action.

DeFi and Legal Protections Remain Key Focus

Lawmakers also reviewed provisions related to decentralized finance and developer protections within the bill. The language mirrored parts of the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which aims to clarify legal responsibilities in decentralized systems. These provisions remained a key point of discussion among policymakers and industry participants.

The proposal seeks to protect developers when users conduct illegal activity on decentralized platforms. Law enforcement groups raised concerns that such protections could limit their ability to pursue financial crimes. This tension highlighted ongoing debates between innovation and enforcement in crypto regulation.

Senator Cynthia Lummis worked on addressing these concerns within the bill. Reports suggested that additional ethics provisions could be introduced at later stages of the legislative process. These changes aimed to strengthen oversight while maintaining support for blockchain innovation.

The discussions showed that regulators are working to create a balanced framework for digital assets. Stablecoin news continued to reflect this shift, as policymakers moved toward structured oversight. The outcome of these discussions could influence how institutions adopt stablecoins in the future.