Key Highlights
- Visa announces collaboration with WeFi to develop blockchain-powered banking solutions worldwide
- Reeve Collins, WeFi’s co-founder, played a founding role in the creation of Tether
- The collaboration bridges the final gap in blockchain banking infrastructure
- Customers will access traditional banking features like IBAN numbers via Visa’s international network
- Initial launch targets Europe, Asia, and Latin America pending regulatory clearance
Visa has unveiled a strategic collaboration with WeFi, a blockchain payments infrastructure provider, to bring onchain banking and payment capabilities to users worldwide.
Reeve Collins, who helped establish Tether and pioneered the world’s dominant stablecoin, co-founded WeFi. The company positions itself as an infrastructure layer bridging decentralized finance protocols with regulated payment networks.
According to both organizations, this collaboration completes the final segment of blockchain banking infrastructure — effectively connecting blockchain-based financial services with the conventional banking tools that businesses and individuals use daily.
Collins explained that the platform will provide users with traditional banking features, including International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs). These numbers enable cross-border money transfers through established banking channels.
WeFi is pursuing financial licenses across various jurisdictions to ensure compliance with local regulatory requirements. Collins emphasized that securing these authorizations represents a critical component of the deployment strategy.
Regional Deployment Strategy
The collaboration will roll out on a regional basis. Initial deployment will focus on specific nations within Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Further geographical expansion hinges on obtaining regulatory permissions and establishing relationships with regional banks and financial service providers. Collins indicated that the organization intends to onboard additional banking collaborators progressively.
The platform specifically targets underbanked populations — individuals lacking consistent access to conventional banking infrastructure. Collins stated that the service aims to empower these users by providing stablecoin-powered payment capabilities and blockchain-based value storage.
Mathieu Altwegg, Visa’s Head of Product and Solutions in Europe, highlighted how the partnership demonstrates Visa’s global infrastructure can integrate with blockchain financial systems while maintaining compliance with existing regulatory frameworks.
WeFi’s Technical Infrastructure
WeFi characterizes its technology as an orchestration layer — infrastructure that links decentralized finance applications with regulated payment systems.
The platform supports international spending and direct value storage on blockchain networks. This enables users to manage and utilize digital assets in ways compatible with traditional financial infrastructure.
Visa’s worldwide presence provides WeFi with entry to a payment ecosystem serving consumers and businesses across over 200 nations. The partnership layers regulated financial infrastructure onto WeFi’s blockchain technology.
Collins stated that the objective involves delivering comprehensive bank account functionality to users who may lack access to traditional banking institutions. WeFi plans to distribute IBANs as the platform expands.
Neither company revealed the financial details of the arrangement. The partnership announcement occurred on April 28, 2026.
