Look, consider this: major tech giants like Apple, X (formerly Twitter), Google, Airbnb, and even Uber have begun negotiating with crypto companies. And for a reason — they are seriously studying how to integrate stablecoins (digital currencies pegged to the dollar or another stable currency) into their services.
Why would they do that? It's simple: stablecoins allow you to transfer money quickly and cheaply around the world — without bank fees and delays. This is especially true if, for example, you are an Airbnb and you pay money to hosts in dozens of countries or you want to transfer 10 bucks to a friend in the USA from Europe — instantly and without hidden fees.
That's what's going on.:
Google Cloud already accepts payments in stablecoins from some customers. The head of Web3 calls this “the largest payment update since SWIFT.”
Elon Musk's X is working on the X Money product with Visa — the idea is to combine debit cards with cryptocurrencies. According to rumors, they are also negotiating with Stripe on the introduction of stablecoins.
Apple is not far behind either. Since the beginning of the year, they have been discussing with Circle (which issues the USDC) the possibility of including stablecoins in their payment system, possibly in Apple Pay.
Airbnb has been exploring implementation since January, in collaboration with the Worldpay payment system.
Facebook Instagram Meta has once again taken up the idea of international payments through stablecoins, especially to pay content creators on Instagram.
Uber is still exploring the idea, but their CEO has already said that they will open up to crypto if it is really convenient for users.
Interestingly, all this began to move faster after the Trump administration outlined a course towards a more loyal crypto policy, and the GENIUS law is being discussed in Congress — it should prescribe clear rules for working with stablecoins.
While some companies are just thinking, others are already testing. And if everything goes according to plan, in the next year or two we may see how familiar services like Google Pay, Instagram or Uber will start accepting digital dollars — quickly, conveniently, without banks.
Now I have a question for you, as a friend.:
Would you use stablecoins if they were supported by Apple Pay or Google Pay? Or do you trust only the usual cards?