Visa first incorporates Dutch Quantoz as a main member, leading to expansion of the stablecoin payment ecosystem

Continuing to deepen its presence in the tokenized payments sector, Visa recently announced the granting of official principal membership status to Dutch payment company Quantoz Payments. On February 18, according to FinanceFeeds, this partnership marks an official endorsement of stablecoins within mainstream payment networks, potentially accelerating their commercial application in the European market.

Fully compliant credentials, stablecoin payments have a “security blanket”

Quantoz Payments holds an electronic money institution license issued by the Dutch Central Bank. Its core competitive advantage lies in the issuance of three electronic currency tokens—USDQ (US dollar), EURQ, and EURD (Euro)—all strictly compliant with the European Economic Area electronic money regulations. These stablecoins are backed by reserves maintained at a 1:1 ratio, stored in dedicated accounts within a bankruptcy-remote fund structure, with an additional reserve buffer of at least 2%.

As a newly granted Visa principal member, Quantoz has been authorized to issue Visa-branded virtual debit cards linked to its regulated electronic currency tokens across Europe. This means users can directly use USDQ, EURQ, and EURD for online, offline, and mobile transactions within the Visa acceptance network worldwide.

BIN guarantee innovation, breaking down stablecoin payment barriers

More disruptively, Quantoz has qualified as a BIN sponsor. This status allows third-party fintech platforms to integrate stablecoin payment functions directly into their products without needing to become Visa members themselves. In other words, fintech companies that previously faced complex approval processes and high entry costs to access the Visa network can now obtain payment capabilities directly through Quantoz’s BIN sponsorship, significantly reducing technical and commercial barriers for stablecoin entry into mainstream payment systems.

Although Quantoz and Visa have not disclosed specific timelines or the list of fintech partners for the initial virtual debit card projects, both parties have stated that their initial focus will be on the European market.

Card organizations launch stablecoin race, two giants showcase their strengths

This move is the latest example of Visa’s ongoing efforts to expand its capabilities in the stablecoin space. Over the past year, Visa has added support for USDG, PYUSD (issued by PayPal), and EURC (issued by Circle), and completed technical integrations with the Stellar and Avalanche blockchain networks.

Meanwhile, Mastercard is reportedly deepening its stablecoin infrastructure through acquisitions. The two major card networks are employing different strategies to compete for the tokenized US dollar and euro transaction flows—Visa is expanding its ecosystem partnerships to increase coverage, while Mastercard prefers acquisitions to quickly acquire technology and assets. The race for stablecoin payments in the industry is heating up, and as stablecoins serve as a bridge between traditional finance and the crypto economy, the openness of payment scenarios is accelerating.