Stablecoins are poised to become a foundational layer of global finance over the next two years, according to Ripple President Monica Long, who says the asset class is shifting from experimental pilots to full-scale production across mainstream payments. In commentary outlining her expectations through 2026, Long argues that stablecoins are no longer a niche crypto innovation but are on track to become the default infrastructure for cross-border payments, embedded directly into legacy financial rails used ...

Core Insights - Visa Inc. has entered into a referral agreement with Extend to enhance its virtual card offerings, targeting the growing middle-market segment [1] - The partnership aims to capitalize on the increasing demand for secure and efficient B2B payment solutions, with virtual card spending expected to rise from $3.1 trillion in 2023 to nearly $14 trillion by 2028 [2] - This collaboration aligns with Visa's mission to modernize B2B payments, providing businesses with enhanced control and security through Extend's platform [3] Group 1 - The partnership is anticipated to drive greater adoption of Visa's virtual card solutions, improve customer retention for issuing banks, and generate additional transaction volume [4] - By simplifying B2B payments while enhancing security, Visa is reinforcing its leadership in the digital payments ecosystem [4] - Visa aims to achieve low double-digit revenue growth on an adjusted constant-dollar basis for fiscal 2025, with expected earnings per share growth in the low teens [5] Group 2 - Visa's shares have increased by 23.4% over the past year, outperforming the industry's growth of 18% [5]