Tangem launches Visa-backed Tangem Pay for onchain USDC spending

Tangem is moving to link self-custody with everyday payment use without altering how users hold their assets. 

The company has introduced Tangem Pay, allowing people to spend onchain USDC using a virtual Visa card while keeping funds under their own control. 

The rollout and details were confirmed in a Nov. 6 announcement by the company.

Spending USDC directly from a self-custodied wallet

Tangem Pay sits inside the existing Tangem Wallet app as a non-custodial payment account. Users fund the account with USD COIN (USDC) on the Polygon (POL) network and can spend online or in stores, including through Apple Pay or Google Pay, without converting funds ahead of time. 

The balance remains onchain until the moment of purchase, when USDC is converted 1:1 into USD through Visa’s payment rails. Tangem emphasizes that users retain private-key control. The security model uses two keys, where the user holds one key and the issuing partner Rain holds the other only for confirming card authorizations.

Rain cannot move funds that have not been deliberately spent. Tangem notes that identity verification applies only to Tangem Pay and does not affect the privacy of the Tangem Wallet itself. 

There are no monthly account or transaction fees, with only normal Polygon gas fees and Visa’s standard foreign exchange charges applying to overseas purchases. Support begins with native USDC on Polygon because of low latency and lower transaction costs, with plans to expand to more stablecoins and networks over time.

Rollout regions and expansion plan

The launch begins later this month and users will be activated gradually from a waitlist. The rollout covers a wide group of regions across the United States, Latin America, and parts of Asia-Pacific, including major markets such as Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, South Africa, and the UAE. A physical card version is set to arrive later. 

Tangem expects to expand into the United Kingdom and the European Union in the first quarter of 2026, timing the rollout to match regulatory requirements under MiCA. 

The company describes the model as offering real-world utility without compromising what it sees as the core ethos of crypto custody.