Which Web2 businesses are more suitable for the rapid introduction of stablecoins?

This article is from: Josh Solesbury (ParaFi Investor)

Translated by | Odaily (Translated by @OdailyChina); Translator | Azuma (@azuma_eth)

Driven by Stripe's acquisition of Bridge and the progress of the GENIUS Act, headline news related to stablecoins has seen explosive growth over the past six months. From large bank CEOs to payment company product managers and government officials, key decision-makers are increasingly mentioning and praising the advantages of stablecoins.

Stablecoins are built on four core pillars:

• Instant settlement (T + 0, significantly reducing working capital requirements);

• Extremely low transaction costs (especially compared to the SWIFT system);

• Global accessibility (24/7, only requiring network connection);

• Programmability (money driven by extended coding logic).

These pillars perfectly explain the advantages of stablecoins praised in various headlines, blog posts, and interviews. Therefore, the argument for "why stablecoins are needed" is easy to understand, but "how to apply stablecoins" is much more complex - whether for product managers at fintech companies or bank CEOs, there is currently very little content specifically elaborating on how to integrate stablecoins into existing business models.

Based on this, we decided to write this advanced guide to provide an entry-level guide for non-crypto enterprises exploring stablecoin applications. The following will be divided into four independent chapters, corresponding to different business models. Each chapter will analyze in detail: where stablecoins can create value, specific implementation paths, and a schematic diagram of the transformed product architecture.

Ultimately, while headlines are important, what we truly pursue is the large-scale application of stablecoins - enabling real business scenarios to use stablecoins at scale. We hope this article can be a small cornerstone in realizing this vision. Now, let's delve into how non-crypto enterprises can currently use stablecoins.

To C Fintech Bank

For consumer-facing (To C) digital banks, the key to enterprise value enhancement lies in optimizing three levers: user scale, average revenue per user (ARPU), and user churn rate. Stablecoins can currently directly help the first two indicators - by integrating partner infrastructure, digital banks can launch stablecoin-based remittance services that can reach new user groups while adding revenue channels for existing customers.

Under the two trends of digital interconnection and globalization that have continued for decades, today's fintech target markets often have transnational characteristics. Some digital banks position cross-border financial services as their core (such as Revolut or DolarApp), while others use it as a functional module to improve ARPU (such as Nubank or Lemon). For fintech startups focusing on diaspora and specific ethnic groups (such as Felix Pago or Abound), remittance services are a must-have for their target market. All these types of digital banks will (or have already) benefit from stablecoin remittances.

Compared to traditional remittance services (like Western Union), stablecoins can achieve faster (instant arrival vs. 2-5 days) and cheaper (as low as 30 basis points vs. over 300 basis points) settlement. For example, DolarApp sends US dollars to Mexico for only $3 and instant arrival. This explains why stablecoin payment penetration has reached 10-20% in some remittance channels (such as the US-Mexico channel) and continues to grow.

In addition to creating new revenue, stablecoins can also optimize costs and user experience, especially as an internal settlement tool. Many practitioners are well aware of the pain points of weekend settlement: bank closures lead to settlement delays of two days. Digital banks pursuing real-time service and ultimate experience have to fill this gap by providing working capital credit, which not only creates capital opportunity costs (especially heavy in the current interest rate environment) but may also force companies to seek additional financing. The instant settlement and global accessibility of stablecoins completely solve this problem. Robinhood, one of the world's largest fintech platforms, is a typical case. Its CEO Vlad Tenev clearly stated in the February 2025 earnings call: "We are using stablecoins to handle a large amount of weekend settlement business, and the application scale continues to expand".

Therefore, it's not surprising that consumer-facing fintech companies like Revolut and Robinhood are deploying stablecoins. So, if you work at a consumer bank or fintech company, how can you use stablecoins?

After introducing stablecoins to this business model, the practical solution is as follows.

Real-time 24/7 Settlement

Use stablecoins like USDC, USDT, USDG to achieve instant settlement (including holidays);

Integrate wallet service providers/coordinators (such as Fireblocks or Bridge) to connect bank systems with USD/stablecoin flows;

Connect with local currency channel service providers (such as Yellow Card in Africa) to achieve B2B/B2B2C exchange of stablecoins and local currencies;

Fill Local Currency Settlement Gaps

Use stablecoins as a temporary substitute for local currency during weekends, and complete reconciliation after the bank system restarts;

Can collaborate with suppliers like Paxos to build an internal stablecoin settlement loop between customer accounts and enterprises;

Counterparty Funds Instantly in Place

Quickly transfer funds to exchanges/partners by bypassing ACH/wire transfer processes through the above solutions or liquidity partners;

Cross-national Entity Automatic Repositioning

When local currency channels are closed, use on-chain stablecoin transfers to allocate funds between business units/subsidiaries;

Headquarters can use this to establish an automated, scalable global fund management system;

Beyond these basic functions, a new generation of banks can be conceived based on the concept of "24/7, instant, composable finance". Remittance and settlement are just the beginning, and subsequent scenarios will include programmable payments, cross-border asset management, stock tokenization, etc. Such enterprises will win the market through ultimate user experience, rich product matrix, and lower cost structure.

Commercial Banks and Enterprise Services (B2B)

Currently, enterprise owners in markets like Nigeria, Indonesia, and Brazil face numerous obstacles in opening USD accounts at local banks. Usually, only enterprises with massive transaction volumes or special relationships can qualify - and this is still subject to the bank having sufficient USD liquidity. Local currency accounts force entrepreneurs to simultaneously bear bank risks and government credit risks, constantly monitoring exchange rate fluctuations to maintain operating capital. When paying overseas suppliers, enterprise owners must additionally pay high fees to convert local currency to USD or other mainstream currencies.

Stablecoins can significantly alleviate these frictions, and forward-looking commercial banks will play a key role in their application. Through bank-hosted compliant digital USD platforms (such as USDC or USDG), enterprises can achieve:

• Holding multi-currency balances without establishing multiple bank relationships;

• Cross-border invoice settlement in seconds (bypassing traditional correspondent banking networks);

• Stablecoin deposit interest;

Commercial banks can thus upgrade basic checking accounts to global multi-currency fund management solutions, providing speed, transparency, and financial resilience that traditional accounts cannot match.

After introducing stablecoins to this business model, the practical solution is as follows.

Global USD/Multi-Currency Account Services

Banks host stablecoins for enterprises through partners like Fireblocks or Stripe-Bridge;

Reduce startup and operating costs (such as reducing license requirements, exempting FBO accounts);

High-Yield Products Backed by Quality US Treasuries

Banks can provide yields at the Federal Funds Rate level (around 4%), with significantly lower credit risk compared to local banks (US Money Market Funds vs. Domestic Banks);

Need to connect with interest-bearing stablecoin suppliers (such as Paxos) or tokenized Treasury partners (such as Superstate/Securitize).

Real-Time 24/7 Settlement

See previous consumer finance section for details.

Global Application Scenarios We Are Optimistic About (Solvable by Stablecoin Platforms/Commercial Banks)

Importers can pay US dollar goods in seconds, with overseas exporters immediately releasing goods;

Corporate financial officers can transfer funds across multiple countries in real-time, breaking free from correspondent banking system delays, making bank services for super-large multinational groups possible;

Business owners in high-inflation countries can anchor their balance sheets to US dollars.

Product Architecture Example (Commercial Banking Services Based on Stablecoins)

Payroll Service Providers

For payroll platforms, the greatest value of stablecoins lies in serving employers who need to pay wages to employees in emerging markets.Cross-border payments or payments in countries with weak financial infrastructure can bring significant costs to payroll platforms—these costs may be absorbed by the platform, passed on to employers, or inevitably deducted from contractor compensation. For payroll service providers, the most easily achievable opportunity is to open stablecoin payment channels.

• Lowering collateral requirements (thanks to 24/7 settlement capabilities).

Here is an example process of a global card product architecture supporting stablecoins:

Conclusion

Today, stablecoins are no longer a future promise that requires imagination - they have become practical technologies with exponential usage growth.The question now is not "whether" to adopt, but "when" and "how". From banks to fintech companies to payment processors, developing a stablecoin strategy has become inevitable.

Enterprises that go beyond the proof of concept stage and truly integrate and deploy stablecoin solutions will far exceed their competitors in cost savings, revenue enhancement, and market expansion.It is worth mentioning that these actual benefits are supported by many existing integration partners and upcoming legislative support, both of which will significantly reduce execution risks. Now is the best time to build stablecoin solutions.