Hardware Wallet Firm Brings Crypto Payments to Visa Network

Tangem, a Switzerland-based cryptocurrency wallet maker, has rolled out Tangem Pay, a virtual Visa card directly connected to its hardware wallet. The service lets users spend USDC stablecoins on the Polygon blockchain at any merchant that accepts Visa, linking self-custody crypto storage with global payments.

The launch, carried out in partnership with U.S. payment infrastructure firm Paera, was announced Wednesday. “Once the user deposits into their Tangem Pay account, they can spend anywhere Visa is accepted, regardless of the local currency,” said Marcos Nunes, CEO of Tangem Pay. The system also supports Apple Pay and Google Pay for instant transactions.

Card issuance will begin in late November across the United States, Latin America and major Asia-Pacific markets, with a European rollout scheduled for 2026. The product launch comes as crypto payment cards gain traction among hardware wallet providers seeking to merge digital asset storage with everyday payments.

Investor Takeaway

Tangem Pay extends the hardware wallet’s use beyond storage, letting users spend USDC at Visa merchants without giving up self-custody.

Available in 42 Markets

The initial rollout covers 42 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States. “The virtual card is just the beginning — we are already working on adding new countries and incentives to make this our users’ number one card for their daily spending,” Nunes said.

Tangem described the launch as part of its “store, grow and spend” roadmap, aimed at turning the hardware wallet into a full financial tool. By integrating Visa’s network, the company is targeting users who want to hold their assets securely while still being able to transact instantly in stablecoins.

Self-Custody Meets Compliance

Unlike custodial wallets, Tangem’s cards connect to a self-custody model where users retain control of their private keys. However, the Tangem Pay account still requires Know Your Customer (KYC) verification for payment compliance. “Tangem has no access to user data. If a user undergoes KYC, it only applies to their Tangem Pay balance,” Nunes said. “If a user is sanctioned or engaged in illegal activity, our regulatory partner — not Tangem — can disconnect the payment card from the network.”

This structure allows the wallet itself to remain decentralized while ensuring the payment layer adheres to financial regulations. It reflects a hybrid approach increasingly adopted by crypto firms seeking to connect self-custody solutions with traditional payment rails.

Settlement Handled by Rain

Compliance and settlement for Tangem Pay are managed by Rain, a stablecoin payments company that recently announced plans to participate in Western Union’s Digital Asset Network. The Western Union platform, based on the Solana blockchain, will feature a proprietary stablecoin and is expected to go live in the first half of 2026.

Tangem’s integration with Rain adds an extra layer of licensed infrastructure to the service, helping the firm meet anti-money laundering and cross-border settlement standards while linking crypto balances to Visa’s global merchant base.

Investor Takeaway

Tangem’s partnership with Visa and Rain shows how stablecoin payments are moving from experimental use to mainstream payment networks.

Hardware Wallet Firms Enter Payments Market

Tangem’s move follows similar expansions by Ledger and Trezor, which have rolled out next-generation wallets with integrated payment and tokenization features. As stablecoin adoption accelerates, wallet providers are seeking to bridge the gap between digital asset storage and practical spending, using Visa and Mastercard rails as the entry point.

By anchoring payments on Polygon and USDC — rather than volatile cryptocurrencies — Tangem Pay targets predictable, low-cost transactions suitable for global retail use. For Visa, the partnership underscores the network’s continued expansion into stablecoin settlement as it builds its crypto strategy alongside competitors such as Mastercard and PayPal.

Tangem Pay’s full rollout later this year will test whether users are ready to merge self-custody with daily financial utility — and whether stablecoins can compete with traditional banking systems in convenience and reach.