TLDR:
- BRICS Pay treats USDT as temporary bridge, signaling migration toward purpose-built settlement alternatives.
- Velo combines distribution layer Orbit Plus with USDV stablecoin for settlement and PayFi-style operations.
- USD1 integration and potential XRPL connection position Velo for multi-asset, multi-rail settlement strategy.
- Geographic network spanning Asia payments and US liquidity creates potential West-East interoperability layer.
The conversation around BRICS payment systems has shifted from theoretical currency discussions to practical infrastructure development.
Marco Salzmann, a market analyst, recently outlined how payment rails, interoperability frameworks, and settlement mechanisms represent the actual technical challenge facing the BRICS bloc.
The analysis points to existing blockchain projects like Velo that have built components potentially relevant to emerging cross-border payment networks.
Salzmann’s thread examines the technical layers required for modern payment infrastructure and where specific projects might connect to broader geopolitical payment initiatives.
Settlement Infrastructure Requirements Beyond Currency Speculation
The BRICS Pay framework treats USDT as a temporary bridging solution rather than a permanent fixture. This approach reflects a common pattern in payment system evolution where liquid assets facilitate early adoption before migration to purpose-built alternatives.
Marco Salzmann noted that payment systems require three distinct architectural layers: distribution for user access, orchestration for routing and compliance, and settlement for liquidity management.
Velo has developed components across these categories through its ecosystem structure. Orbit Plus functions as the distribution layer within Velo’s architecture, providing the access point that payment rails eventually require.
The project maintains USDV as its native stablecoin, designed around settlement operations and PayFi workflows. According to available information, USDV emphasizes institutional-grade reserves and transparency mechanisms, including references to tokenized treasury structures involving BlackRock BUIDL through Securitize.
The credibility of settlement layers depends heavily on reserve backing and operational transparency. Velo’s public positioning around USDV addresses these requirements through documented reserve structures.
The project has also integrated USD1 from World Liberty Financial into its ecosystem, expanding its liquidity base beyond a single-asset model.
Settlement layers in modern payment systems typically require multiple liquidity sources to handle diverse transaction flows.
Salzmann clarified that no direct evidence links Velo to BRICS Pay operations. However, the structural components Velo has built align with infrastructure needs that emerge when payment rails expand.
The observation focuses on technical architecture rather than confirmed partnerships or integrations with BRICS payment initiatives.
Geographic Positioning and Multi-Asset Settlement Strategy
Velo’s network connections span different regional payment corridors and liquidity domains. The Lightnet relationship and CP Group connections provide exposure to Asian payment flows and market infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the USD1 integration creates a separate connection point to US-based liquidity pools. This combination could position Velo as a potential interoperability layer between Western and Eastern payment systems if macro-level infrastructure expands.
The project’s roadmap includes potential XRP Ledger integration into its Universe environment for 2026. Such integration would reinforce a multi-rail approach to settlement operations, allowing transactions across different blockchain protocols.
Multi-asset and multi-rail strategies have become standard in payment infrastructure design as single-protocol systems face limitations in global reach.
Payment rail development typically follows a sequence where infrastructure precedes network effects, which then attract partnership integrations and transaction volume.
Stablecoins often begin as temporary bridges before evolving into structured settlement instruments within mature systems.
Salzmann applies this framework when evaluating Velo’s development trajectory and potential relevance to emerging payment corridors.
The monitoring focus remains on whether projects building distribution, orchestration, and settlement layers today will connect to payment infrastructure that gains adoption over extended timeframes.
Rails attract usage patterns before market valuations typically reflect underlying transaction growth.