Core Insights - Visa Inc. has launched a pilot program allowing businesses to send payouts directly to recipients' stablecoin wallets, enhancing the speed and accessibility of global payouts [1][3] - The pilot enables businesses to fund payouts in fiat currency while recipients can receive funds in USD-backed stablecoins like USDC, catering to creators, freelancers, and marketplaces [1][6] Group 1: Pilot Program Details - The pilot program aims to provide universal access to money in minutes, benefiting creators, businesses, and freelancers by facilitating faster and more flexible money movement [2][6] - Visa Direct's latest pilot allows U.S. platforms and businesses to send payouts directly to users' stablecoin wallets, eliminating the need for traditional banking methods [6][7] - The program is designed to support consumers in underbanked regions, offering a stable store of value and near-instant access to funds [6][8] Group 2: Market Research and Demand - According to the Visa 2025 Creator Report, 57% of digital content creators prefer digital payment methods for instant access to funds, highlighting the demand for faster payment solutions [2] - The pilot is expected to expand access with a broader rollout planned for the second half of 2026 as client demand grows and regulatory frameworks advance [6][8] Group 3: Advantages of Stablecoin Payouts - Stablecoin payouts provide increased transparency, as every transaction is permanently logged on the blockchain, supporting auditability and compliance [6] - The consistent, USD-pegged value of stablecoins helps establish predictability for recipients, allowing them to hold, spend, or convert their stablecoins flexibly [6][7]

Visa is testing a system that lets businesses send payments directly to stablecoin wallets instead of to a card or bank account, the company announced Wednesday at Web Summit in Lisbon. Funds are delivered in dollar-backed stablecoins, such as Circle Internet's (CRCL) USDC, Visa said. The pilot targets creators, freelancers and gig workers who often face delays in accessing their pay, especially when working across borders. Businesses can fund the payouts in fiat currency, while recipients choose to rece ...

Industry Innovation - Visa launched a pilot program allowing US businesses to fund payouts in fiat currency [1] - Recipients will receive stablecoins in their crypto wallets [1]

Visa is testing stablecoin payments using Circle's USDC, with the goal of allowing digital platforms such as TikTok and Uber to pay influencers and gig workers in emerging markets https://t.co/SHj1bS8V4g ...

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The news team covers medium and small-cap markets, as well as blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive's content includes insights across various sectors such as biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] Group 2 - Proactive is committed to adopting technology to enhance workflows and content production [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring all content is edited and authored by humans [5]

Settlement Overview - Visa 和 Mastercard 与美国商户达成和解，可能开启零售店分级定价的新时代，具体取决于消费者使用的信用卡类型 [1] Industry Impact - 行业将密切关注和解协议对信用卡使用和商户定价策略的潜在影响 [1]

Core Viewpoint - Visa and Mastercard have proposed a settlement to reduce the interchange fees that merchants pay, which could alleviate some inflationary pressures on consumer prices [1][2][3] Summary by Sections Settlement Details - The proposed settlement aims to lower the interchange fees by approximately 0.1% on most US credit card transactions for five years, potentially saving retailers and consumers money across millions of purchases [3][8] - The settlement would end 20 years of litigation regarding these fees [3][14] Impact on Retailers - The National Retail Federation (NRF) argues that swipe fees are a significant operating expense for retailers, contributing to an increase in consumer prices by over $1,200 annually for the average family [4] - The NRF has criticized the settlement as insufficient, stating it only represents a small fraction of the average swipe fee of 2.35% charged to merchants in 2024, equating to a rollback of fees by about one year [5][11] Merchant Flexibility - The settlement would provide merchants with more flexibility in accepting payment methods, allowing them to choose which types of cards to accept, although they cannot selectively accept cards from different banks [11][12] - Mastercard claims that the deal will benefit smaller merchants by offering more acceptance choices and reduced costs [6][9] Legal and Regulatory Aspects - The settlement is subject to approval by a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York before it can be finalized, with expectations for approval around late 2026 or early 2027 [13][14] - The ongoing litigation against Mastercard and Visa has been in place since 2005, focusing on how these companies set and enforce credit card swipe fees [14]

Core Viewpoint - Visa and Mastercard have reached a proposed settlement in a long-standing legal battle with merchants, which aims to reduce interchange fees and provide more flexibility in payment acceptance, pending court approval [2][3][5]. Summary by Sections Settlement Details - The settlement, announced on November 10, still requires approval from the Eastern District Court of New York and would conclude a case that began in 2005 regarding alleged collusion to violate U.S. monopoly laws through interchange fees [2]. - Visa and Mastercard will reduce interchange fees, typically set at 2% to 2.5%, by 0.1 percentage points for five years under this agreement [3]. Merchant Benefits - Merchants will have the option to choose whether to accept U.S. cards in specific categories, including commercial cards and premium consumer cards, with standard consumer rates capped at 1.25% [4]. - The settlement includes a "merchant education program" aimed at helping merchants manage payment acceptance and costs [5]. Reactions and Concerns - Mastercard emphasized that smaller merchants would benefit from more acceptance choices, reduced costs, and simplified rules, enhancing the overall payments experience [6]. - However, the Merchants Payments Coalition criticized the fee reduction as "minuscule" and expressed concerns that Visa and Mastercard could raise fees again after the temporary cuts expire, highlighting that merchants have limited choices regarding rewards cards, which constitute 85% of all issued cards [7].

Market Overview - The market is experiencing a sharp reversal from the previous week, indicating a collective sigh of relief as government operations appear to be stabilizing [2][3] - This shift allows traders to focus on actual trading rather than political uncertainties [3] Company Analysis: Oaklo - Oaklo is approaching an earnings event with current trading around $109, down from $194 in mid-October, indicating significant pressure despite a strong year-to-date performance of over 400% [4][15] - Technical analysis shows a broken uptrend and a falling wedge pattern, with a critical breakout point around $116-$117 [7][9] - The implied volatility rank (IVR) is relatively low at 46, suggesting that the stock is positioned for potential movement [12][13] - A proposed trade involves a 140 call calendar spread, with expectations of a potential profit of at least $250 [14][15] Company Analysis: Hazy Therapeutics - Hazy Therapeutics is identified as a potential swing breakout candidate, with a key resistance level around $70.50 and a target of at least $80 [16][21] - The stock has shown recovery after a significant drop post-earnings, with recent highs around $70.50 and a supportive moving average around $67.50 [18][21] - The volume profile indicates a bounce off a key volume node near $65, with the next significant point of interest at $74 [22] Company Analysis: Visa - Visa is currently trading in a rangebound manner, with recent trading around $336.35, close to a critical support level of $335 [26][34] - The implied volatility rank is low at 36, indicating a lack of fear regarding downside movement [27] - A proposed trade involves a November 21st versus November 28th 350 call calendar spread, with a potential maximum reward modeled at nearly $3 [28][34] - Technical indicators suggest a sideways trajectory, with moving averages converging and a risk of breaching the established support [30][32]

Core Viewpoint - Visa and Mastercard have proposed a settlement to reduce the interchange fees that merchants pay, which could alleviate some inflationary pressures on consumer prices [1][2][3] Summary by Sections Settlement Details - The proposed settlement aims to lower swipe fees by approximately 0.1% on most U.S. credit card purchases for five years, ending two decades of litigation [3][13] - This reduction translates to a savings of 0.1% per transaction for merchants, potentially benefiting both retailers and consumers across millions of purchases [3] Industry Impact - The National Retail Federation (NRF) claims that swipe fees are a significant operating expense for retailers, contributing to an increase in consumer prices by over $1,200 annually for the average family [6] - The NRF argues that the proposed reduction is insufficient, as it only slightly rolls back the average swipe fee of 2.35% charged to merchants in 2024 [7] Merchant Sentiment - The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has expressed that the settlement should be rejected, stating it may not benefit merchants and could grant credit card companies legal immunity to raise fees [8] - Visa and Mastercard assert that the settlement will provide merchants with more flexibility in payment acceptance and reduce costs [11][10] Legal Context - The settlement is pending approval from a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York and aims to resolve ongoing litigation regarding interchange fees and merchant rules [13][14] - The changes to the fee system and card-acceptance rules are not expected to take effect until the court approves the settlement, anticipated in late 2026 or early 2027 [15]