Mesh taps Visa so users can spend crypto and stablecoins at 175 million merchants
Crypto balances become spendable at 175 million shops
Crypto payments company Mesh has partnered with Visa to let people pay with cryptocurrency and stablecoin balances held in participating wallet apps at more than 175 million merchant locations worldwide. A stablecoin is a digital token designed to follow the value of a normal currency such as the US dollar.
Payments will work in stores and online. A Visa payment credential is set up behind the scenes, while Mesh handles funding the transaction and converting the balance. Users do not need to sell or move their assets before paying.
The announcement was reported by The Block on October 19, 2026, and links to a press release from Mesh and Visa.
What the partnership includes
- Users can spend crypto and stablecoin balances from participating wallet apps at more than 175 million merchant locations.
- Payments work both in stores and online.
- Mesh funds and converts each transaction, so users do not have to sell or transfer assets first.
- Initial availability, supported devices and participating platforms have not been announced.
What Mesh's CEO says
In the press release, Mesh CEO and co-founder Bam Azizi said the problem has never been spending crypto, but reaching the final step of payment. He said that until now, closing that gap meant getting a separate card, and that Mesh handles funding and conversion so a balance becomes purchasing power at the moment of payment, with nothing for the user to move and nothing for the merchant to change. These are statements from the company, not independently verified results.
Mesh's funding and Visa's wider crypto push
Mesh provides crypto payment infrastructure and is behind PayPal's "Pay with Crypto" launch. In August 2025, PayPal Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and others brought Mesh's total funding above $130 million. In January, Mesh reached unicorn status after a $75 million Series C round led by Dragonfly.
The partnership is the latest step in Visa's effort to connect crypto holdings to its merchant network. In April, Visa and WeFi planned to let users spend digital assets through Visa while keeping control of their crypto in self-custody wallets, which are wallets where the user holds the keys rather than a third party. Last year, Visa and Bridge partnered to let developers issue Visa cards funded by stablecoin balances, with Bridge handling the back end and currency conversion.
What is still unclear
Key details are still missing. Initial availability, supported devices and participating platforms for the Mesh-Visa linkup have not been announced. The supplied material also does not say which cryptocurrencies or stablecoins will be supported, what fees may apply, or when the service will launch.
Why it matters for everyday crypto spending
According to the announcement, the setup removes a step that users previously had to take: selling or transferring crypto before it can be spent. If the service works as described, a balance held in a wallet app could be used directly at merchants that accept Visa, without the user needing a separate crypto card or the merchant changing anything on its side. This description comes from the companies behind the partnership.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.