Visa Rebrands DeFi as ‘Onchain Finance,’ Sets Sights on Building the Core Lending Rails
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Visa Rebrands DeFi as ‘Onchain Finance,’ Targets $670B Stablecoin Lending Market
Visa is moving deeper into the world of decentralized finance — now rebranded as “onchain finance” — as it seeks to provide the infrastructure connecting banks, funds, and blockchain-based lending platforms.
In its latest report, “Stablecoins Beyond Payments: The Onchain Lending Opportunity,” the payments giant outlines how traditional financial institutions could participate in programmable lending protocols using Visa’s compliance, data, and custody infrastructure.
The company, which processes nearly $16 trillion in annual payments, argues that stablecoin lending has evolved into a mature credit market, with more than $670 billion in loans issued since 2020. Activity has surged to record highs in 2025, signaling that stablecoins are becoming a foundation for automated, real-time credit systems.
Visa’s research highlights how this new wave of onchain finance extends beyond trading and speculation. Protocols such as Morpho allow institutional investors to lend against tokenized bitcoin collateral, Credit Coop (a Visa partner) uses smart contracts to manage merchant receivables, and Huma Finance facilitates cross-border business loans with recycled liquidity generating double-digit yields.
The firm’s approach mirrors its traditional financial model: Visa won’t issue tokens or take lending risk but will provide the technological backbone — from APIs and analytics to settlement systems — that allows institutions to integrate with decentralized lending markets securely.
The rebrand from “DeFi” to “onchain finance” reflects a strategic shift toward regulatory alignment and institutional acceptance in the post-GENIUS Act era. By replacing crypto-native language with more accessible terminology, Visa aims to position blockchain credit as an extension of conventional finance rather than its alternative.
Visa’s ambitions are clear: just as it built the world’s payment rails for card transactions, it now wants to build the rails for programmable credit — connecting traditional institutions to the fast-growing world of onchain lending.
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Visa Eyes Role as Infrastructure Backbone for “Onchain Finance,” Targeting $670B Stablecoin Lending Market
Visa is positioning itself at the center of decentralized credit markets — now rebranded as “onchain finance” — with plans to provide the infrastructure linking traditional finance to blockchain-based lending.
In a new report titled “Stablecoins Beyond Payments: The Onchain Lending Opportunity,” the payments giant reframes decentralized finance (DeFi) as a regulated, institution-friendly sector. The shift in terminology signals an effort to align blockchain-based credit activity with the compliance and operational frameworks of banks and asset managers, particularly under the GENIUS Act.
Visa’s analysis shows that stablecoin lending has already scaled into a significant financial market, with over $670 billion in loans issued since 2020 and activity hitting record levels in 2025. The report argues that stablecoins are evolving from trading tools into the backbone of programmable, automated lending systems that operate continuously and settle in real time.
Under Visa’s proposed model, institutions would act as liquidity providers to onchain lending protocols, while Visa would deliver the infrastructure — APIs, analytics, compliance layers, and settlement systems — needed to safely participate. The company would not issue tokens or fund loans directly, focusing instead on technology and data connectivity.
The report highlights several active examples of onchain lending in practice:
- Morpho, which connects institutional wallets and exchanges to facilitate collateralized stablecoin loans.
- Credit Coop, a Visa partner that automates merchant receivables through smart contracts.
- Huma Finance, which enables cross-border working-capital loans and recycles liquidity to deliver double-digit yields.
Visa’s approach mirrors its traditional payments model — owning the rails without taking balance-sheet exposure. By providing trusted infrastructure for compliant participation, Visa aims to make onchain finance accessible to mainstream institutions.
The terminology shift from “DeFi” to “onchain finance” underscores a broader strategic pivot: transforming decentralized lending from an experimental crypto sector into a regulated, programmable extension of global credit markets.
Visa’s ambition remains unchanged — to power the world’s financial plumbing. Only this time, it’s building the rails for programmable credit instead of card payments.
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