Visa + Mesh Wire Up Crypto Spending to 175M Merchants — Banks Sweating Nearby

Crypto holders will be able to spend their digital balances directly at more than 175 million merchant locations across over 200 countries and territories through a new partnership between Visa and payments network Mesh, the companies announced Monday. The integration removes the need for users to convert crypto to bank funds or obtain a separate crypto card at checkout, according to the announcement.

Under the arrangement, Mesh will handle transaction funding and the conversion between cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and fiat currencies, while Visa payment credentials are provisioned through participating wallet apps. Merchants will receive payments through Visa's existing network with no changes to their checkout systems, the companies said. Mesh will also manage customer onboarding and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for participating wallets.

Specific supported wallets, devices and launch dates will be disclosed as rollout plans are finalized, Mesh said. The companies framed the tie-up as a way to make digital-asset balances usable at scale across Visa's global acceptance footprint, without requiring merchants to integrate new infrastructure.

The partnership follows Mesh's September integration with Bybit Pay, which allowed users to spend directly from their exchange balances on supported platforms. Mesh raised $75 million in a January funding round led by Dragonfly that valued the company at $1 billion, per prior reporting.

Visa's network spans more than 175 million merchant locations worldwide, according to the announcement, a scale the companies are positioning as the bridge between crypto balances and everyday commerce for participating wallet users.