Stablecoins
How are banks approaching dollar-backed digital assets (stablecoins)?
Stablecoins have moved from the edge of the
Banks are testing stablecoins for cross-border payments, liquidity management, and digital wallets. Some are also exploring how stablecoins can support interbank transactions or be issued directly by regulated institutions. As the landscape takes shape, stablecoins are starting to look less like an experiment and more like infrastructure.
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While using a cryptocurrency as a means of payment instead of an investment may not be unique, most are challenged in environments that require speed, security and the need to work around cash or payment cards. Dash attempts to differentiate from competitive cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, by addressing those concerns.
August 10
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Ethereum has also suffered from scalability issues since its inception and is capable of handling just 14 transactions per second, compared to Visa’s 24,000 per second, causing network congestion, writes Fran Strajnar, CEO of Brave New Coin.
August 10
Brave New Coin. -
MakeCents uses a distributed blockchain platform to digitize and decentralize fiat currency. For existing stakeholders, the incentives to cede some control in favor of a blockchain are lower costs, faster transactions and greater volume.
August 8
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Companies report that cross-border payments account for just 20% of payment volume but typically take 80% of accounts payable's time. That's simply not scalable. You can’t just keep throwing people at this problem, writes Karla Friede, co-founder and CEO of Nvoicepay.
August 3
Nvoicepay.com -
The U.K.’s Food Standard Agency completed its first successful blockchain pilot this month, with plans to expand the test in August.
July 31
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The cryptocurrency-focused merchant bank Galaxy Digital, led by a former Goldman Sachs partner, will start trading on a Toronto exchange this week. Its journey is a cautionary tale in regulatory risk.
July 30
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Banks that have decided to use Hyperledger Fabric now have a place to find apps that run on it — apps that someone else has tested. The store, LedgerConnect, is also meant to give vendors a way to distribute their wares to banks.
July 30
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American Express' blockchain patent application isn't just about payments: It could also radically change how card-based merchant offers are made and allow them to become much more targeted.
July 26
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Two payments startups, PayStand and Quadpay, are collaborating with Silicon Valley Bank and First Data during a four-month accelerator program to explore mutual product development opportunities.
July 24
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Digital money platform Wirex has added a Ripple cryptocurrency wallet to its portfolio, giving its users the ability to exchange and spend Ripple's XRP token through their Wirex Visa cards.
July 24
The first three months of the year coincide with the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office. Investors are likely to be more interested in banks' outlooks amid swings in tariff policy than the first-quarter results.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How are banks approaching dollar-backed digital assets (stablecoins)?
Stablecoins have moved from the edge of the crypto, world to the center of policy and banking conversations. As regulators and banks weigh their role in payments, settlement, and reserves, this page follows the developments — from early pilots to proposed legislation.
Banks are testing stablecoins for cross-border payments, liquidity management, and digital wallets. Some are also exploring how stablecoins can support interbank transactions or be issued directly by regulated institutions. As the landscape takes shape, stablecoins are starting to look less like an experiment and more like infrastructure.
Why are banks paying attention to stablecoins?
Stablecoins are increasingly viewed as a potential upgrade to legacy payments systems. Banks are evaluating them for settlement, remittances, cross-border transactions, and tokenized deposit models.Are banks issuing their own stablecoins?
Some are exploring the option. Institutions like JPMorgan (with JPM Coin) and new entrants like PayPal are piloting bank-issued stablecoins, while others are watching regulatory developments before moving forward.How do stablecoins impact compliance and risk?
Issues include KYC/AML enforcement, cybersecurity, operational risk, and how reserve assets are held and reported. Banks exploring stablecoin activity must weigh both technological benefits and regulatory scrutiny.How are regulators responding to stablecoin innovation?
Congress is debating stablecoin-specific bills focused on reserve backing, issuer licensing, and oversight. The Federal Reserve, OCC, and state regulators are also shaping how bank involvement in stablecoin activity is supervised.How are banks using stablecoin?
Banks are using stablecoins to speed up cross-border payments, manage liquidity across global branches in real time, and test new forms of settlement between institutions. Some are integrating stablecoins into retail-facing digital wallets, while others are exploring interbank networks built on tokenized payments. These efforts are less about crypto speculation and more about making money move faster, with greater transparency and fewer intermediaries.- Real-time cross-border payments
- Internal liquidity management
- Retail-facing digital wallets
- Interbank tokenized payment networks
Top banks investing in stablecoin
List of institutions with greatest investment in stablecoin:- JPMorgan Chase – JPM Coin
- Custodia Bank – Avit Tokens
- Citigroup - Citi Token Services
- Societe Generale - USD CoinVertible
- Bank of America - Name yet to be released
- Fifth Third - Name yet to be released
- U.S. Bancorp - Name yet to be released