UPay, a global crypto payment card provider, has entered a strategic partnership with StraitsX, a Singapore-based stablecoin-native settlement layer, aiming to build foundational financial infrastructure that supports everyday stablecoin payments worldwide.

The collaboration seeks to bridge the gap between traditional commerce and the digital asset economy, enabling secure, seamless, and compliant transactions for millions of users.

The integration will embed StraitsX’s settlement infrastructure directly into UPay’s payment ecosystem.

As a result, UPay cardholders will be able to convert and spend their stablecoins instantly at more than 175 million Visa-accepting merchants across the globe.

The companies describe this as a decisive step toward advancing the practical use of stablecoins for daily transactions.

According to the announcement, the initiative focuses on reducing friction in cross-border payments, decreasing transaction costs, and improving accessibility.

By offering stable, dollar-pegged assets for spending, the partnership aims to increase user trust and unlock a smoother pathway for stablecoin adoption.

UPay said the collaboration is designed to function as part of the broader effort to create “the financial railroads” for the digital asset economy—an infrastructure layer that supports the movement of value in a way comparable to how the internet enables the flow of information.

The companies highlighted several immediate advantages of the collaboration:

Effortless global spending:
UPay users will be able to spend stablecoins at Visa merchants worldwide, a capability designed to make global commerce faster and more cost-effective.

Trust and transparency:
StraitsX’s fully reserved, dollar-backed stablecoins—such as XUSD and XSGD—provide what the firms describe as a reliable foundation for users who want transparency and certainty in digital asset spending.

Support for mainstream adoption:
By enabling frictionless use of stablecoins for everyday purchases, the partnership aims to help normalise digital asset payments within traditional financial environments.

Both firms also noted that the system will account for the evolving landscape of illicit-finance risks.

The integration will include safeguards to mitigate money-laundering and terrorism-financing threats, aligning with global compliance expectations.

Tianyao Liu, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at StraitsX, said the company sees its mission as providing the “foundational rails for the digital economy.”

He added that the collaboration is “not just enabling payments” but architecting core infrastructure that allows value to move as easily as information.

UPay CEO Owen Yang said the move allows the firm to “tap into the tangible reality of everyday financial life,” offering users stability, trust, and a future-focused payment experience.

“We are not just offering a payment card; we are offering a passport to the future of global finance,” Yang said.

The partnership reinforces both companies’ long-term strategies.

UPay continues to position itself as a bridge between traditional finance and crypto assets, providing global spending capabilities for digital currency holders.

Meanwhile, StraitsX, licensed as a Major Payment Institution by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has been expanding its stablecoin ecosystem through partnerships with financial institutions, liquidity providers, and payment technology firms.

As more governments and financial players explore blockchain-based payments, the UPay-StraitsX collaboration aims to establish infrastructure suited for a world where stablecoins could become a widely used medium of exchange.

With the ability to convert digital assets into spendable value at millions of merchants, the partnership marks a meaningful step in the integration of stablecoins into mainstream financial systems.

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