According to reports, Apple, Google, Airbnb, and Elon Musk's X are in preliminary talks with cryptocurrency companies to integrate stablecoins into their payment systems to reduce fees and simplify global payment processes. This news comes right after the successful IPO of stablecoin issuer Circle, whose stock price rose 40% following its first day of trading, indicating that stablecoins are rapidly penetrating traditional finance and tech giants.
I believe stablecoins have the potential to become one of the important methods of global payments in the future, but they are unlikely to become the default method in the short term.
The possibility of stablecoins becoming the default method of global payments: Stablecoins have advantages such as relative price stability, low transaction costs, and fast settlement speeds. In 2024, stablecoins facilitated over $27.6 trillion in transactions, surpassing the total of Visa and Mastercard combined. With the gradual improvement of regulations, such as Hong Kong becoming the first global financial center to comprehensively regulate stablecoins, the development environment for stablecoins will become more favorable. Additionally, an increasing number of financial institutions and companies are participating in the stablecoin market, and tech giants like Apple and Google also plan to integrate them into payment systems, all of which contribute to the popularity of stablecoins. However, stablecoins face challenges such as regulatory uncertainty and technological risks, and the global payment system is large and complex, with traditional payment methods dominating, making it difficult for user habits to change rapidly. Therefore, stablecoins are unlikely to become the default payment method in the short term.
The technology platforms most likely to launch first: Apple has a higher likelihood of being the first to launch. Apple has already taken relevant actions in 2024 by opening the NFC feature on iPhones, and Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, has stated that a click-to-pay feature using USDC on iPhones will be launched soon. In contrast, Google has plans to collaborate with Aleo on stablecoins, but it is still in internal testing. Airbnb only began discussions with Worldpay in early 2025, making progress relatively slow. X is discussing the possibility of implementing stablecoin transactions with Stripe but has not disclosed more specific information.
Changes in the daily use of cryptocurrencies: Once stablecoins are integrated into payment systems, using cryptocurrencies for daily payments will become more convenient, allowing users to pay directly with stablecoins at supported merchants without cumbersome exchange processes. Meanwhile, as more tech platforms support stablecoins, the application scenarios for cryptocurrencies will significantly expand, no longer limited to areas like virtual currency trading, but widely applicable in daily scenarios such as shopping, accommodation, and advertising settlements. Additionally, stablecoin payments may integrate with more financial services, such as stablecoin-based lending and wealth management services, thereby strengthening the connection between cryptocurrencies and traditional finance.
