12 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 4
The gain was Visa's best day since 2022, after it told analysts AI shopping agents could increase transactions and said stablecoin settlement volume was running at about $7bn annually.
Chief executive Ryan McInerney argued AI agents would act like card users at greater scale, while Visa also highlighted partnerships such as Coinbase and fast-growing value-added services.
The report eased investor fears that agentic commerce and stablecoins could bypass card networks, though questions remain over how richly services revenue should be valued versus core transaction growth.
Is Visa's pivot to AI and crypto a true evolution or a defensive strategy to protect its traditional business model?
Will smart AI agents loyally use Visa, or will they learn to bypass its network fees for cheaper payment routes?
As Visa builds on nine blockchains, what protects global commerce from the risk of a single stablecoin or network failure?
Visa reported a record-breaking Q2 2026 with 17% revenue growth to $11.2 billion, driven by a 9% increase in payments volume to $3.7 trillion and strong gains in value-added services, service, and data processing revenues. The company aggressively returned capital through a $7.9 billion stock buyback and $1.3 billion in dividends, while authorizing a new $20 billion repurchase program. Despite the strong results and initial 8% stock surge, investor caution emerged due to a 17% rise in non-GAAP operating expenses and geopolitical tensions, especially in the Middle East. Visa’s strategic investments in AI, stablecoins, and blockchain aim to fuel future growth amid competitive and regulatory challenges.