Next-Gen Banking: USDC-Powered Visa Card Launched by Singaporean Fintech and Swiss Bank

• SafePal and Fiat24 introduce a pioneering crypto Visa card and banking service.
• The partnership enhances transaction security and integrates crypto with traditional banking.

Singaporean fintech company SafePal has announced a strategic investment in Swiss bank Fiat24. This partnership marks a significant step forward in the integration of traditional banking with the burgeoning world of cryptocurrency.

Together, SafePal and Fiat24 are launching a crypto Visa card and an in-app banking service, setting a new standard for financial transactions. The service, which will be incorporated into version 4.5.0 of the SafePal mobile wallet, is currently awaiting approval from key digital marketplaces, including Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

USDC: The Currency of Choice

At the heart of this collaboration is the decision to use USD Coin (USDC) as the default deposit currency for the new services. This choice underscores the increasing acceptance of stablecoins in everyday financial transactions.

Yang Lan, co-founder of Fiat24, highlighted the unique features of the new Visa card, emphasizing its use of the USDC Arbitrum blockchain. This not only ensures a transparent and immutable ledger but also allows for the reversal of faulty transfers within the banking system, a feature not commonly available in traditional blockchain transactions.

Seamless Integration with Traditional Banking

Veronica Wong, CEO and co-founder of SafePal, elaborated on the user experience. She explained that users could effortlessly transfer funds from their USDC mobile wallets to traditional financial institutions. Furthermore, the service enables users to convert cryptocurrencies from over 40 blockchains into their bank accounts, facilitating transactions in familiar fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, euro, and Swiss Franc.

The SafePal mobile wallet takes security to the next level by minting bank account credentials as NFTs on Arbitrum. This innovative approach guarantees that all transaction records are securely and transparently maintained on the blockchain.

The crypto Visa cards introduced by SafePal and Fiat24 are designed for maximum convenience, supporting integration with popular third-party payment platforms such as PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.

On the other hand, Visa has recently facilitated the payment of gas fees with credit cards for Ethereum transactions, as formerly reported by Crypto News Flash. This innovation bridges the gap between conventional finance and blockchain technology, aligning with the trends highlighted in the SafePal and Fiat24 collaboration.