According to Cointelegraph, global foreign exchange and payments platforms are facing significant challenges from stablecoins, which have the potential to disrupt their established business models. Investor Kevin O’Leary highlighted this issue during his keynote address at Consensus 2025, emphasizing the impact of regulated stablecoins on legacy forex and payments platforms. These platforms often charge substantial fees for cross-border cash transfers, and the adoption of stablecoins as a cheaper and faster alternative could lead to a decline in their revenue.
O’Leary described the currency trading market as a multi-trillion dollar industry that is outdated and inefficient. He pointed out that the introduction of regulated stablecoins poses the biggest threat to the current monopoly or oligopoly within this market. Once approved, stablecoins could transform the foreign exchange market into a more efficient, transparent, and cost-effective system. The Toronto conference served as a platform for O’Leary to discuss the potential implications of stablecoin legislation, which U.S. lawmakers are actively working on.
U.S. Senators are pushing for the passage of the Genius Act, a framework designed to regulate stablecoins, with the aim of accelerating global adoption. O’Leary noted that once the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approves the stablecoin act, other regulators in countries such as Abu Dhabi, Switzerland, and England are likely to follow suit. He acknowledged the financial services industry's opposition to this legislation, as they are concerned about the potential impact on their business models and are actively working to prevent the bill from passing.
O’Leary also suggested that regulatory clarity for stablecoins could pave the way for broader cryptocurrency reform, potentially unlocking trillions of dollars in institutional capital. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand echoed this sentiment, stating that the forthcoming legislative language would bring significant progress in areas such as consumer protection, bankruptcy protection, and ethics. As of May 15, stablecoins have a collective market capitalization of nearly $250 billion, with Tether’s USDT leading the market at approximately $150 million, followed by Circle’s USDC with a market cap exceeding $60 billion.
