Visa hopes that its new cryptocurrency consulting arm will help it stay one step ahead of the competition

<p>The world's largest card company has just increased its bet on crypto. Visa announced today the launch of a crypto advisory practise within its Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) division for its clients and partners.</p> <p>The announcement comes just months after Cuy Sheffield, Visa's head of cryptocurrency, declared the asset class "cool" at a fintech conference last month.</p> <p>The payments behemoth made headlines earlier this year when it acquired a CryptoPunk NFT, but its decision to open a dedicated crypto consultancy demonstrates that its efforts to capture crypto market share in a crowded field extend beyond marketing stunts.</p> <p>Visa's partnerships with cryptocurrency exchanges have more than doubled in the last 18 months, Sheffield told TechCrunch. Consumers have also spent about $3.5 million on crypto-linked card programmes, up from $1 million in July, Sheffield said.</p> <p>Additionally, it announced the findings of a new global survey it conducted on consumer attitudes towards cryptocurrency, which revealed that 40% of its 6000 + respondents would consider switching primary banks to one that offers crypto products.</p> <p>Sheffield said the company has received "an incredible volume of inbound calls from hundreds of clients, partners, and traditional financial institutions" interested in integrating cryptocurrency into their offerings. Visa's consulting arm employs approximately 700 people, though the company did not disclose the number of employees associated with the crypto practise.</p> <p>"We believe Visa is well-positioned as a global neutral brand with deep expertise in crypto, capable of abstracting away some of the complexity associated with these emerging technologies and assisting banks in incorporating them into their core products," Sheffield said.</p> <p>Visa recently announced a $60 million Series B investment in blockchain compliance firm TRM Analytics. American Express and Citibank also contributed to the fundraising effort. Visa is just one of several card issuers sc