B2 News Finance & Economics · May 19, 2026

Where stablecoin use is growing

Stablecoins are cutting cross-border payment costs dramatically, and major financial players are taking notice.

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Stablecoins — digital currencies pegged to traditional money like the U.S. dollar — are quietly reshaping how businesses move money across borders. Two major analyst reports from S&P Global Market Intelligence and Moody's Ratings confirm that cross-border transactions, payroll, and intercompany settlements are emerging as the strongest use cases. With roughly $269 billion in stablecoins currently in circulation, that figure is projected to hit $434 billion by 2028.

The numbers make a compelling case. Stablecoins can settle cross-border payments for just 0.1% to 0.5% of transaction value, compared to an average remittance cost above 6% through traditional channels. Add near-instant 24/7 settlement and programmable payments to that equation, and it's easy to see why corporate finance teams are paying attention. Industry adoption will rely heavily on a combination of greater regulatory clarity and partnerships that can help alleviate the complexity of launching, using and managing stablecoins, S&P Global warned.

Cross-border payments adoption has been concentrated in specific markets, with Argentina processing about $34 billion in stablecoin transactions in 2024, and Nigerian volumes of USDC exceeding $3 billion per month last year. About 99% of fiat-backed stablecoins are tied to the U.S. dollar, reflecting its dominance in global trade and finance.

For multinationals paying overseas employees, stablecoins also cut through a frustrating problem: fluctuating exchange rates and FX fees that obscure the true value of workers' earnings. Big players like Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, and Worldpay already offer stablecoin payment options, and Corpay recently partnered with infrastructure firm BVNK — which Mastercard is acquiring — to expand stablecoin wallets to global customers.

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📚 Key vocabulary

remittance (noun)
money sent by someone to another person or place, especially across international borders
"The company reviewed its remittance process to reduce the fees paid when transferring salaries to overseas staff."
alleviate (verb)
to make a problem or difficulty less severe or easier to deal with
"Automating the approval process helped alleviate the administrative burden on the finance team."
programmable (adj)
able to be set up in advance to perform specific actions automatically under certain conditions
"The treasury team explored programmable payments to automatically release funds when contract milestones were met."
obscure (verb)
to make something unclear or difficult to see or understand
"Frequent rate changes can obscure the actual cost of running international operations."
in circulation (phrase)
actively being used or available within a financial or economic system
"The central bank monitored how much digital currency was in circulation before introducing new regulations."

✨ Useful phrases for this topic

"settle for [X]% of transaction value"
Use this when comparing the cost efficiency of different payment or transfer methods in a business or financial context.
"The new payment system can settle for just 0.3% of transaction value, making it far cheaper than wire transfers."
"near-instant 24/7 settlement"
Use this when describing a payment system's speed and availability as a key business advantage.
"One reason the CFO favored the new platform was its near-instant 24/7 settlement, which eliminated end-of-day processing delays."
"regulatory clarity"
Use this when discussing how clear government rules or laws are needed before a market or technology can develop further.
"Investors are waiting for greater regulatory clarity before committing large amounts of capital to the sector."

Advanced sentence structures

Patterns from this article you can use in meetings, emails, and everyday English

Structure 1

In context

Industry adoption will "rely heavily on a combination of greater regulatory clarity and partnerships that can help alleviate the complexity of" launching, using and managing stablecoins.

The skeleton

Frame: [Noun phrase] will rely heavily on a combination of [noun phrase] and [noun phrase] that can help alleviate the complexity of [verb-ing / noun phrase].

What it does: Describes two or more things together as necessary solutions to a difficult or complicated challenge.

Quick swap: "Successful remote work will rely heavily on a combination of clear communication and technology that can help alleviate the complexity of managing distributed teams."

More examples

  • "Reducing hospital waiting times will rely heavily on a combination of increased funding and digital tools that can help alleviate the complexity of patient scheduling."
  • "A successful product launch will rely heavily on a combination of market research and cross-department coordination that can help alleviate the complexity of reaching new customers."
  • "Improving urban air quality will rely heavily on a combination of stricter emissions standards and public investment that can help alleviate the complexity of transitioning away from fossil fuels."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. stablecoin growth · a combination of · regulatory clarity · partnerships · rely heavily on · the complexity of · managing digital assets · alleviate
  2. student retention · rely heavily on · a combination of · financial support · mentoring programmes · alleviate · the complexity of · balancing work and study
Show answers
  • "Stablecoin growth will rely heavily on a combination of regulatory clarity and partnerships that can help alleviate the complexity of managing digital assets."
  • "Student retention will rely heavily on a combination of financial support and mentoring programmes that can help alleviate the complexity of balancing work and study."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • The future of digital payments or financial technology
  • Improving a process at work, such as onboarding new staff or managing projects
  • A challenge in everyday life, such as learning a language or staying healthy

One possible answer: "Expanding into new markets will rely heavily on a combination of local partnerships and cultural training that can help alleviate the complexity of adapting products for different audiences."

Structure 2

In context

Cross-border payments adoption has been "concentrated in specific markets," the Moody's report said. Argentina processed about $34 billion in stablecoin transactions in 2024, and Nigerian volumes of USDC exceeded $3 billion per month last year.

The skeleton

Frame: [Trend or development] has been concentrated in [specific area/group], with [example A] [verb-ing] [data/detail], and [example B] [verb-ing] [data/detail].

What it does: States that something is limited to particular places or groups, then gives two concrete examples as evidence.

Quick swap: "Demand for electric vehicles has been concentrated in urban areas, with Norway recording the highest adoption rates in Europe, and China accounting for over half of global sales."

More examples

  • "Growth in the luxury retail sector has been concentrated in a handful of cities, with Dubai seeing a 20% rise in sales last year, and Tokyo reporting record tourist spending."
  • "Interest in the new certification programme has been concentrated in the finance industry, with banking professionals making up 60% of applicants, and insurance firms accounting for most of the rest."
  • "Support for the proposed policy has been concentrated in rural communities, with farming regions showing the strongest approval ratings, and coastal towns expressing the most opposition."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. stablecoin adoption · concentrated in · emerging markets · Argentina · processing $34 billion · Nigerian volumes · exceeding $3 billion per month
  2. use of the new app · concentrated in · younger age groups · 18–24-year-olds · accounting for 70% of downloads · users over 50 · representing less than 5%
Show answers
  • "Stablecoin adoption has been concentrated in emerging markets, with Argentina processing $34 billion in transactions, and Nigerian volumes exceeding $3 billion per month."
  • "Use of the new app has been concentrated in younger age groups, with 18–24-year-olds accounting for 70% of downloads, and users over 50 representing less than 5%."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • Where a new technology or payment method is being adopted most rapidly
  • Which departments or teams in a workplace are driving a particular change
  • Which regions or age groups are most affected by a social or economic trend

One possible answer: "Demand for co-working spaces has been concentrated in mid-sized cities, with Manchester reporting a 40% increase in memberships last year, and Bristol seeing several major new venues open."

💬 Discussion questions

1

If your company needed to pay freelancers or employees in five different countries every month, what problems do you think you would face — and could stablecoins solve any of them?

2

The article says stablecoin adoption is growing fastest in countries like Argentina and Nigeria. Why do you think that is, and what does it tell us about who benefits most from cheaper cross-border payments?

3

Major companies like Visa and Mastercard are already offering stablecoin services. How do you think traditional banks should respond — compete, adapt, or ignore the trend?

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