Zepz takes on global banking with stablecoin linked Visa card in shift beyond remittances

Zepz, the fintech heavyweight behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, will launch a stablecoin-linked Visa card, a move that transforms its recently debuted Sendwave Wallet from a passive holding pen for remittances into a transactional checking account for the digital economy.

The initiative, powered by the stablecoin infrastructure platform Bridge, represents a significant development for Zepz. By integrating with the Visa network, Zepz is closing the “last mile” gap in cross-border payments, allowing users in emerging markets to spend digital dollars directly at millions of merchants worldwide, rather than converting to volatile local currencies immediately.

The card rollout, slated to hit markets including Brazil in early 2026, follows the October launch of the Sendwave Wallet, a product designed to let users send, store, and spend funds across more than 100 countries. While the wallet was built on the Solana blockchain in partnership with Circle and wallet provider Portal, the addition of a Visa card is the commercial linchpin. It allows the wallet’s digital dollar balances (USDC) to be liquidated instantly at the point of sale.

“This isn’t just about moving money, but giving people better access, more stability, and financial choice,” said Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz. “For years, cross-border communities have been underserved by a financial system that wasn’t built for them. We’re changing that.”

For Zepz, the economics of the move are clear. Traditional remittance models are linear: a sender in the U.S. or U.K. pushes funds to a recipient in Nigeria or the Philippines, who immediately withdraws the cash. The transaction ends there. By introducing a wallet and a linked card, Zepz attempts to capture the recipient as a long-term banking client, monetising interchange fees and keeping liquidity within its ecosystem.

This is the real intent of a cross-border innovation that allows customers to send, store and spend funds. It is also the edge that sets Zepz apart from African fintechs like Moniepoint, LemFi, and Africhange, which are happy to play the role of receivers, not senders.

The Stripe Connection

The technical execution relies heavily on Bridge, a company recently acquired by payments giant Stripe. Bridge’s infrastructure handles the complex backend mechanics, instantly converting stablecoins into local fiat currency at the moment a card is tapped. This abstraction layer is critical; it ensures merchants receive standard fiat payments without needing to touch cryptocurrency, while users avoid the friction of pre-loading prepaid cards.

“Global fintechs like Zepz shouldn’t have to spend years launching cards from scratch in every single country,” said Zach Abrams, CEO and co-founder of Bridge. “With Bridge, Zepz can launch card services quickly and expand to new countries with just a few lines of code.”

The partnership also deepens ties between Zepz and Stripe, with a separate agreement signed to facilitate Zepz’s expansion into the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

Regulatory Tailwind

The timing of the rollout coincides with a maturing regulatory landscape for digital assets. The industry has seen a flurry of activity following the passage of the GENIUS Act in the U.S., which provided a clearer framework for stablecoin issuers. While the legislation restricts e-money issuers from paying direct interest—categorising it similarly to traditional deposits—it has emboldened institutional players to enter the space by reducing capital requirement uncertainties.

Competitors are already moving. MoneyGram International Inc. launched a similar non-custodial wallet offering earlier this year, and African operators like Africhange are leveraging stablecoins to facilitate diaspora payments. However, Zepz’s scale—servicing millions of users through its WorldRemit and Sendwave brands—positions it to test the mass-market viability of “crypto-rail” banking more aggressively than its peers.