Businesses can issue cards where transactions occur, fund programs with stablecoins, and manage spending through API-based controls
Businesses operating across multiple countries increasingly need to pay teams, creators, contractors and suppliers without relying on a single card program or a patchwork of local banking arrangements.
On 11 November 2026 an additional tech solution was announced to address that operational gap — by allowing eligible organizations to issue cards in the markets where they transact.
How? Cross-border payment programs often face friction from foreign-exchange conversion, cross-border fees, inconsistent merchant acceptance and different compliance requirements. Businesses that issue cards in one market and deploy them elsewhere can encounter higher costs and lower approval rates when cardholders spend in another region…
The operational challenge
The challenge is particularly acute for organizations managing distributed workforces, creator payouts, advertising spend and recurring software subscriptions. They need a way to fund card programs centrally, control spending by team or campaign, and let recipients pay in local currency. Now, there is a solution that combines local card issuance with stablecoin-based funding and API-driven program administration. Its main technical components include:
- A single-API integration for configuring card programs, managing card lifecycles and applying program controls.
- Local bank identification numbers obtained through financial-institution partnerships, enabling issuance in the market where transactions occur.
- Commercial and consumer card programs, with virtual and physical cards and support for mobile wallets.
- Program-level settlement in USDT, USDC and Open USD, allowing businesses to fund cards from stablecoin balances while cardholders spend in local currency.
- On-chain screening before deposits become spendable, with direct exposure to high-risk sources declined and indirect links held for review.
- Auditable compliance records, know-your-business checks and partner reviews before account activation.
- Batch card issuance and granular budget controls for advertising accounts, teams, campaigns, purchasing, travel and general expenses.
Intended outcome
By issuing locally, businesses aim to reduce cross-border and foreign-exchange costs while improving merchant approval rates. The approach also separates treasury funding in stablecoins from consumer-facing spending in fiat currency, giving finance teams a single settlement layer while cardholders retain conventional card acceptance.
According to Ray Yang, co-founder and CEO, WasabiCard, the platform involved: “Global expansion has often meant issuing cards in one market and hoping the same model works everywhere else. That can create friction around compliance, card acceptance, and costs. Our (solution) gives businesses the flexibility to issue natively in regional markets, settle in stablecoins, and deliver familiar branded experiences to end-users.”
