Stablecoins for Business Transactions

I'm getting more excited about stablecoins the more I learn about them. Not because of crypto hype, but because of the real business applications I keep seeing. Last week's Supra session with three industry leaders opened my eyes to just how fast this space is moving: ↳ Ben Reid (Head of Stablecoins, Bitso) ↳ Avinash Chidambaram (Founder & CEO, Cybrid) ↳ Alex McDougall(President, Stablecorp Inc.) Here's what's got my attention: 1/ The cost arbitrage is massive Traditional cross-border payments cost 4-5% and take days. Stablecoins do the same thing for ~10 basis points in real-time. That's not incremental improvement - that's 90% cost reduction with instant settlement. Alex shared an example: Brazilian students paying Canadian tuition through stablecoin rails instead of international wire transfers. 2/ Real-world infrastructure is already here This isn't theoretical anymore. Bitso processes cross-border payments across Latin America using peso stablecoins. Cybrid provides APIs that let any fintech embed stablecoin payments. Major wireless carriers are exploring real-time settlements for roaming charges - eliminating billions in reconciliation overhead. 3/ AI agents + instant payments = new business models The most fascinating use case: AI agents making authorized payments based on business logic. Your ERP detects low inventory → AI gets CFO approval → payment executes → supplier ships immediately. No more "we'll start manufacturing once your wire clears in 3-5 days." 4/ Regulatory clarity is accelerating adoption The GENIUS Act and similar frameworks are giving enterprises confidence to integrate this technology. Banks are now asking stablecoin companies to help them issue deposit tokens. JP Morgan has their own consortium working on this. 5/ Global harmonization advantage Unlike traditional rails that require different systems in each country, stablecoins work identically everywhere. Build your payment infrastructure once, deploy it globally. This is why every fintech is becoming a crypto fintech - whether they realize it or not. The tipping point feels closer than I expected. What stablecoin applications are you most excited about?

Visa + Stablecoins = a new paradigm for payments via *public* blockchain infrastructure. Crypto has struggled to point to obvious mainstream use cases for years. Part of the challenge derives from the fact that crypto/public blockchains are infrastructure tech — making it harder for the average consumer to see and experience its benefits. But if you're a merchant receiving online payments, accepting stablecoins via public blockchain rails has obvious benefits: - instant and final settlement - no reversals/fraud/chargebacks - no credit card expirations (and lost revenue for subscription businesses) - no onerous reconciliation between banks - lower costs on the backend = lower fees for merchants - global, shared settlement network The bottom line is that when you tap your card or make a payment online today, you kick off a maze of complexity under the hood amongst issuer and merchant banks and payment service providers. Public blockchains and stablecoins eliminate most of this complexity by leveraging a shared & secure settlement network and bearer digital assets. ---- **Key Takeaway: Visa and other payment infrastructure companies are integrating services on *public* blockchains. You won't see them trying to create their own blockchain or a consortium of blockchains. Why? Because the settlement network is already built for them. Stablecoins such as USDC are already in the market. A network of shared standards around wallets, programming languages, data oracles, and tokens already exists. And they can connect to 8 billion people via these shared standards. ---- 🤔 If the world's largest payment providers are integrating with *public* blockchains, you might be wondering why central bank digital currencies are being tested on *private* blockchains. Naturally, it seems reasonable to project that CBDCs will ultimately be deployed on *public* blockchains. Of course, this would imply that the global digital economy will eventually collapse onto *public* blockchain infrastructure. I covered these concepts and much more in the latest issue of #thedefireport See the first comment for free access.

Stablecoins are creating new possibilities for banking partnerships in Latin America. 71% of stablecoin adoption in LATAM is for real-world cross-border payments. Forward-thinking banks across the region are asking the right question: "How do we enable this for our customers?" Instead of building everything from scratch, they're partnering. We've seen regional banks integrate stablecoin rails alongside their traditional services, allowing customers to benefit from both options. They understand that businesses need real-time settlements for cross-border trades, not just domestic wire transfers. Now, banks can offer what their customers actually want: the speed of digital currency with the trust and compliance of established banking relationships.

Web3 technology, particularly stablecoins, are becoming increasingly vital for Web2 teams hiring globally, marking a shift from luxury to necessity. As businesses expand across borders, the need for a stable, reliable, and efficient payment method is paramount especially in regions that lack tradfi infrastructure. Stablecoins are perfectly suited for this task. Here's why: Global Payroll Simplified: Stablecoins provide a consistent value exchange, eliminating the complexities of currency conversion and fluctuation for international teams. Cost-Effective Transactions: They reduce the transaction fees and delays often associated with traditional cross-border payments, ensuring employees get paid on time, every time, 24/7/365. Financial Inclusivity: Offering access to a unified, global financial system, stablecoins empower companies to hire and retain talent worldwide, irrespective of the local banking infrastructure. The transition from viewing stablecoin payments as a luxury to recognizing them as a necessity underlines the growing importance of Web3 technologies in supporting the dynamic needs of global teams. This evolution reflects a broader shift towards more decentralized, efficient, and inclusive financial operations in the global economy landscape that is no longer siloed to the crypto industry. #crypto #payroll #hr