Rain taps Episode Six for Asia-Pacific card expansion

Rain has formed a long-term partnership with Episode Six, starting with an expansion across Asia-Pacific.

Under the agreement, Episode Six will serve as the processing partner for Rain's credit, debit and prepaid card programmes across multiple networks and markets. The initial focus is Asia-Pacific, where demand for stablecoin-based payments is rising and where Episode Six already has local infrastructure in several markets.

The deal follows Rain's expansion of its Visa membership into the region. That move gives it a broader base for card programmes tied to stablecoin payments, while the new partnership adds processing support for enterprises looking to launch local and cross-border products.

Rain's clients will be able to use in-market set-ups and Visa-certified processing through Episode Six. The partnership is intended to support programmes operating across different jurisdictions without requiring separate rebuilds for each market.

Regional focus

Asia-Pacific has become a key target for companies developing stablecoin payment services, particularly for cross-border business-to-business settlement and corporate treasury. Those use cases are drawing attention as businesses look for faster, more predictable ways to move funds between countries.

Episode Six has more than 10 cloud instances across Asia-Pacific, along with local deployments in several of the region's faster-growing markets. That footprint gives Rain a local processing base, as it works with clients that need payment products tailored to domestic rules and regional payment flows.

The partnership also gives Rain more control over programme design. Episode Six's platform allows settings for fees, foreign exchange rules, risk thresholds and spending controls to be adjusted, all of which can vary by market and customer segment.

That level of control matters for corporate and fintech clients that want to issue cards linked to stablecoin-funded payment systems while still fitting within local compliance structures. In practice, issuers across Asia-Pacific often face different requirements for customer onboarding, card use, transaction monitoring and settlement.

Rain's expansion points to a broader shift among payments companies seeking to connect digital asset infrastructure to established card networks. Stablecoins have attracted growing interest for commercial payments because they are designed to hold a fixed value and can move funds on blockchain-based rails. But broader adoption still depends on links to conventional payment systems.

Processing choice

For Rain, adding Episode Six increases the number of processing options it can offer enterprise customers. That can matter when clients operate in multiple regions and want infrastructure tailored to local market conditions rather than a single global setup.

Episode Six supports card and ledger programmes in more than 50 countries and works with banks and fintechs on multi-currency and cross-border payment products. Its existing presence in Asia-Pacific appears to be a central factor in the agreement, particularly as Rain builds out its regional coverage following its Visa membership extension.

Charles Yoo-Naut, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Rain, said the company wanted infrastructure that could expand with its business as it enters more markets and networks. "As we expand into Asia-Pacific and scale our programs across additional markets and networks, having processing infrastructure that can grow with us is essential," he said. "Episode Six brings exactly what we need, with local presence in the markets that matter, proven execution at scale, and a platform flexible enough to support whatever we build next."

John Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of Episode Six, described the agreement as part of a broader effort to support stablecoin card programmes beyond a single geography. "Rain is setting the standard for stablecoin-powered card programs globally, and we are proud to be the infrastructure partner powering that expansion in Asia-Pacific," he said. "Our local infrastructure, scheme integrations, and purpose-built platform are designed for programs that need to operate at high volume, across borders, and in compliance with local requirements from day one. APAC is where we are starting, but the scope of what we are building with Rain extends well beyond this single region."