Telecom operator VIVA has become the first carrier live on Iris, an Avalanche-based financial network designed for mobile businesses. The company is using the system for transaction settlement and eligible dollar-denominated operating reserves, bringing stablecoins into the financial operations of an established telecommunications provider.

VIVA uses USDi, a dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Agora, as the settlement asset. Iris is designed to connect with carriers' existing identity, billing, and distribution systems. The arrangement allows financial services to be added without requiring the operator to replace the systems already supporting its telecom business.

Iris is led by Jules Miller, formerly a partner at IBM Blockchain Ventures, and debuted with a $43 million commitment from Balesia Group. Its initial focus is emerging markets, where mobile operators already have extensive customer relationships and distribution networks that can support additional financial services.

The VIVA deployment provides a concrete test of stablecoins as operating infrastructure. Its significance lies in recurring business payments and reserve management rather than token trading. Expansion will depend on whether other carriers find the same combination of dollar settlement and existing customer infrastructure useful in their markets.