When consumers pay 100 yuan with a credit card, the merchant actually receives only 96.5 yuan—another 3.5 yuan becomes the transaction fee charged by the credit card company. However, if the same transaction uses a stablecoin, the fee may be less than 0.1 yuan. This seemingly small difference is quietly triggering a global payment revolution.
Data comparison: A century-long showdown between traditional payment and stablecoins
Cost dimension:
Credit card payment: Average rate of 3.5%, cross-border transactions can reach 5%
Stablecoin transfer: Transaction fees are close to zero, with a minimum of only $0.001 per transaction
Potential savings: U.S. merchants pay over $100 billion in card fees annually; switching to stablecoins could save about $97 billion
Efficiency dimension:
Credit card settlement: 1-3 working days to arrive, extended over the weekend
Stablecoin settlement: average 3 minutes to arrive, operating 24/7
Capital utilization rate: merchants can reduce liquidity reserves by more than 50%
Security comparison:
Credit card: fraud rate about 0.1%, risk of chargebacks continues to exist
Stablecoins: irreversible blockchain transactions, smart contracts automatically executed
Real case: disruptive changes in cross-border trade
A Shenzhen electronic products exporter showed us real data:
Traditional letter of credit transaction: $1 million order, bank fee $15,000, takes 7 days
Settlement with USDT: the fee for the same amount is only $3, arrives in 10 minutes
"It's not just about saving money," the company's CFO said, "The improvement in capital turnover speed has increased our business volume by 300%."
Policy breakthrough: the historical significance of the (GENIUS Act)
This bill, officially passed in August 2025, although regulatory protection is still insufficient, clearly states for the first time:
The legal status of stablecoins is equivalent to that of traditional payment tools
Establish a $10 million consumer protection fund
Require issuers to maintain a 1:1 reserve and conduct monthly audits
"This is equivalent to issuing a birth certificate to the market," blockchain lawyer Li Ming analyzed, "Although it is not yet perfect, it has already broken the policy deadlock."
User behavior migration: young people are voting with their feet
2025 Payment Habit Survey Report shows:
Ages 18-25: 43% prefer to use cryptocurrency payments
Ages 26-35: 29% frequently use stablecoins for consumption
More than 60% of respondents believe that "traditional credit cards are outdated"
"Last month I used USDT to buy a phone, pay tuition, and even transfer money to my girlfriend," said Wang Hao, a post-00s college student, "It arrives instantly with no fees, why use a credit card?"
The counterattack and dilemma of traditional giants
Visa and Mastercard have been very active recently:
Launch blockchain settlement network B2B Connect
Launch stablecoin credit card in cooperation with Circle
Invest billions of dollars to develop modern payment systems
But industry insiders pointed out: "The traditional framework is bound to be costly, just like a horse-drawn carriage company making cars, it is ultimately difficult to compete with native innovation."
Next three years: market share forecast reshuffle
According to Bloomberg Intelligence model estimates:
2025: The proportion of stablecoin payments is expected to reach 3%
2026: Expected to exceed 8%, approaching PayPal's market share
2027: May reach 15%, starting to pose a substantial threat to credit card status
"The turning point may come faster than expected," industry observer Zhang Lin said, "When a large retailer fully adopts stablecoin payments, the avalanche begins."
Practical guide for ordinary users
Entry plan:
Download wallets that support fiat currency transactions (such as MetaMask)
Purchase $100 worth of stablecoins through compliant platforms for a trial
Choose merchants that support cryptocurrency payments for experience
Advanced skills:
Arbitrage using different stablecoins (price difference between USDT/USDC)
Participate in exchange instant exchange functions to save Gas fees
Use cross-chain bridges for multi-chain payments
Risk warning: calm thinking amidst the carnival
Regulatory policies are still evolving, may face legal uncertainties
Smart contract vulnerabilities may lead to asset losses
Although price fluctuations are small, there is still a risk of decoupling
Beginner operational mistakes may cause irreversible losses
"It's recommended to start with small amounts," a veteran user reminded, "while also keeping a backup of traditional payment methods."
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