Mesh and Visa Partner to Enable Crypto Spending at 175 Million Merchants

Mesh has announced a partnership with Visa designed to let consumers spend cryptocurrency and stablecoin balances directly from participating wallet applications at Visa-accepting merchants.

Announced on October 19, the agreement connects Mesh’s payment infrastructure with Visa’s network of more than 175 million merchant locations across over 200 countries and territories. Initial availability, supported devices and participating platforms will be announced as rollout plans are finalised. 

Payments Funded Directly From Wallet Balances

Under the proposed system, consumers will be able to tap a supported device at a standard contactless terminal or pay online through a participating wallet or platform.

A Visa payment credential will be provisioned in the background. Mesh will arrange transaction funding and convert supported cryptocurrency, stablecoin or fiat balances at the time of purchase.

This removes the need for users to manually sell their digital assets beforehand, transfer the proceeds to a bank account or preload a separate payment card. Conversion still takes place as part of the payment process.

Merchants will receive a standard Visa payment through their existing checkout infrastructure. According to Mesh, they will not need additional hardware or a separate integration to handle cryptocurrency. 

Single Integration for Wallets and Platforms

Wallet providers and other platforms holding customer balances will be able to add the service through a single integration with Mesh.

Mesh will act as programme manager, including handling user onboarding and know-your-customer checks. Participating platforms will therefore be able to connect to Visa’s payment infrastructure without independently building and operating a card programme. 

The announcement names Kalshi, KAST, Félix Pago, MAJORITY and Tools for Humanity among Mesh’s existing partners. Mesh says more than 200 enterprises use its network, which connects wallets, exchanges and financial services platforms. Its release leaves the detailed list of platforms participating in the Visa rollout for a later announcement. 

Launch Details Still Pending

The agreement establishes a route for supported wallet balances to fund purchases across Visa’s acceptance network. Consumer access will depend on individual platforms enabling the service.

The companies have yet to announce an initial launch date or supported devices, so the network’s global merchant footprint does not indicate that the product is already available to all wallet users.