Can stablecoins move from being a niche settlement tool to becoming the future of everyday payments? 

Bringing together leaders from across the fintech and payments ecosystem, the panel featured Anton Golub (Founding Member, RWA Labs), Baskar Subramanian (CEO, Mobi), Kristin Peischel (Senior Director, Solutions & Partner Marketing, Rapyd), Alex Behar (CIO, Zota), and Andrey Kalashnikov (Head of Match2Pay). Together, they shared their perspectives on how regulation, cross-border payments, blockchain infrastructure, and user adoption are redefining the future of digital money. While perspectives differed, one message was unanimous: the future of payments isn't about replacing traditional finance, and it's about making money move faster, cheaper, and more seamlessly. 

Here's what the panel unpacked: 

• Why does convenience matter more than the technology behind payments? 

• Why are stablecoins outperforming Bitcoin for real-world transactions? 

• Where are businesses already seeing value from stablecoins? 

• What's preventing everyday consumers from adopting crypto payments?  

• How will regulation determine the next phase of digital money? 

  
  

Money Should Just Work 

The discussion began with a simple but powerful observation: people don't care how money moves; they only care that it's available when they need it. 

Whether payments are processed through banks, blockchain networks, or fintech platforms is largely invisible to users. What matters is speed, reliability, and accessibility. That expectation is pushing payment providers to rethink how money moves globally, especially as businesses increasingly operate across multiple countries and currencies. 

Stablecoins are solving a different problem than fiat 

Rather than positioning stablecoins as a replacement for traditional currencies, the panel agreed they're solving a completely different challenge. For domestic payments, salaries, and everyday purchases, fiat currencies continue to work well. The real friction begins when businesses need to move funds internationally. 

Cross-border settlements often involve multiple banks, currency conversions, settlement delays, and higher transaction costs. Stablecoins simplify that process by enabling near-instant transfers across borders while maintaining price stability. 

The consensus was clear: Fiat works best locally. Stablecoins work best globally.

Bitcoin started the revolution and stablecoins are driving adoption 

Although Bitcoin introduced decentralized digital money, panelists largely viewed it today as a store of value rather than a payment instrument. Its price volatility makes it difficult for merchants and businesses to accept as a transactional currency. 

Stablecoins, however, eliminate that uncertainty. One statistic shared during the discussion perfectly illustrated the market's direction: 

• Around 95% of crypto payment flows now happen through stablecoins.  

• Bitcoin accounts for only 0.4% of payment volume.  

• Ethereum represents an even smaller share.  

For businesses, predictable value matters more than speculative upside. 

Retail adoption is still years away 

For most infrastructure-level technologies, business adoption precedes retail. Card payments, internet banking, and QR codes were all merchant and corporate tools long before they became everyday consumer habits. Stablecoins are following the same pattern, and a certain degree of retail adoption is already well underway. 

When asked about the timeline for widespread retail adoption, panelists converged on a two to three year horizon, the inflection point being the point-of-sale integration. Until stablecoins can be accepted at the checkout the same way a contactless card is today, the primary use case remains treasury management and B2B settlement. 

Regulation is becoming an enabler 

Unlike the early days of crypto, today's discussion focused heavily on regulation as a catalyst rather than a constraint. Clear regulatory frameworks give financial institutions greater confidence to build products around stablecoins. At the same time, governments face an important balancing act. While U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins dominate global markets, countries are exploring their own digital currencies to maintainmonetary sovereignty and modernize payment infrastructure. 

Several panelists emphasized that interoperability, not competition, will determine long-term success. Instead of replacing national currencies, stablecoins are more likely to coexist with them, enabling faster movement between traditional finance and blockchain-based systems. 

The Road Ahead 

Today, stablecoins are already transforming treasury management, B2B settlements, and cross-border payments. Consumer adoption is progressing more gradually, but the direction is becoming increasingly clear as payment providers simplify user experiences and regulators establish clearer frameworks. 

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the session was that the future isn't about crypto versus banks. It's about combining the speed and efficiency of blockchain with the trust, compliance, and accessibility of traditional financial systems. 

As digital payments continue to mature, stablecoins are no longer just another blockchain innovation; they are becoming an increasingly important layer of the global financial infrastructure. 

Topics:
Stablecoins | Cross-border payments | B2B settlement | iFX Expo | Crypto adoption | Payments infrastructure | Regulation