Stablecoins first gained traction as a liquidity layer for decentralized finance, allowing users to store and move value on-chain without direct exposure to crypto price volatility. That role remains important. But the same attributes that made stablecoins useful in crypto markets are now supporting a broader set of financial and business applications: low cost, borderless movement, 24/7 availability, and programmability.  

Stablecoin growth is thus entering a second phase, with the evidence of this expansion already visible in the volume data.   

Chainalysis reports that stablecoins processed $28 trillion in adjusted real economic volume in 2025. This measure underscores the expanding role of stablecoins beyond trading, with growing applications across payments, remittances, treasury transfers, and business-to-business settlement. 

According to Stripe’s 2025 annual letter, real-world stablecoin payments volume doubled in 2025 to around $400 billion, with an estimated 60 percent of that volume attributed to B2B payments. This is a narrower measure than on-chain economic activity overall, as it tracks payments specifically, and it shows where stablecoin expansion is becoming especially consequential. 

B2B settlement is emerging as a practical use case because it applies stablecoin infrastructure to an existing business problem: moving value across borders with less friction. 

Why B2B settlement is gaining traction 

Cross-border businesses have outgrown the systems traditionally used to support it. 

Traditional cross-border infrastructure creates friction across several parts of the payment process: 

• Multiple intermediaries can add complexity and cost  

• Batch processing can limit when payments can move  

• Multi-day settlement windows delay access to funds  

• Manual reconciliation can add operational effort  

• Funds in transit can tie up working capital 

Stablecoins offer a different operating model. They can support around-the-clock settlement and cross-border movement without relying on the same correspondent banking path. These capabilities help businesses settle faster while integrating payment activity into their software and treasury workflows.  

For businesses operating across time zones, continuous availability matters because treasury activity does not stop when a local banking system closes. Intercompany transfers, supplier payments, liquidity movements, and other cross-border obligations often need to be managed outside traditional banking hours. 

The use case is therefore practical. Stablecoins can help businesses move value when required and shorten settlement windows. In workflows where funds would otherwise remain in transit, it also improves working-capital management.  

Also Read: Stablecoin Sandwich Explained for FX Platforms 

The infrastructure behind stablecoin volume 

Growing transaction volume does not, by itself, create a dependable payment system. 

Businesses need a complete operating infrastructure around the settlement asset:  

• Reliable on- and off-ramps  

• Access to liquidity  

• Transaction visibility 

• Transparent pricing  

• Records that support finance and audit processes  

• Robust compliance controls  

This is where the requirements of B2B settlement differ from a simple transfer between wallets. A business needs visibility across the entire transaction, along with compliance controls working at the speed of the underlying payment rail. If those controls introduce uncertainty or manual intervention at every stage, faster settlement does not necessarily produce a better business process.  

Related Read:  GENIUS Act Means for Stablecoin Operations 

A business-ready layer for stablecoin settlement 

Canis provides a stablecoin-powered settlement infrastructure layer for businesses moving money across borders, using a straightforward structure: fiat in, stablecoin transit, and fiat out. 

The model allows value to move across borders using stablecoin rails, while the business continues to operate in fiat terms. The stablecoin layer can remain in the background, with clients funding accounts in the required currency and recipients receiving settlement in local currency. 

That separation is important for businesses that want the benefits of faster settlement without asking every participant to manage a new financial workflow. The operational experience can remain focused on currencies, counterparties, accounts, and settlement instructions, while the underlying rail supports the movement of value. 

Canis also provides transaction tracking, transparent pricing, clean audit trails, and a clear approach to compliance and licensing. Transaction monitoring and sanctions screening run within the payment process, supporting operational compliance without slowing settlement. 

The distinction is between stablecoins as a financial instrument and stablecoins as business infrastructure. Business infrastructure must connect settlement speed with liquidity, compliance, visibility, and local-currency access. The former can demonstrate speed. The latter must make that speed actionable in everyday workflows. 

The next test: operational reliability 

Stablecoin volume establishes the scale of the shift, while operational reliability determines whether that volume becomes durable for B2B adoption. 

Businesses must be able to use stablecoin rails to complete cross-border workflows with clear funding, fast movement, local settlement, transparent pricing, and records that withstand internal and external review. That combination of speed and operational confidence will define the second wave. 

As real-world payment activity expands, the winning infrastructure will be the infrastructure that makes stablecoin settlement feel straightforward to the business using it.  

Ready to make stablecoin settlement part of your everyday workflows? Talk to Canis.