TLDR:
- Meta is trialing stablecoin payments across its apps, with a possible rollout expected later in 2025.
- WhatsApp is viewed as the key gateway for stablecoin adoption in underbanked emerging markets worldwide.
- Stripe is reportedly a key candidate for Meta’s stablecoin project amid close ties between both firms.
- Stablecoin payment volume doubled to around $400 billion last year, reflecting fast real-world adoption growth.
Stablecoin payments are gaining fresh momentum as Meta Platforms considers integrating them across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The company is reportedly testing this technology for a potential rollout later this year. This development follows Meta’s failed Diem digital currency project from four years ago.
Analysts say the move reflects both a maturing regulatory environment in the United States and a growing appetite among large tech firms to reshape cross-border payment infrastructure.
Meta’s Stablecoin Experiment Takes Early Shape
Meta is conducting small-scale trials using existing stablecoins rather than building its own digital currency. A company spokesperson confirmed on X that Meta has no plans to issue a proprietary stablecoin. Instead, the focus appears to be on integrating third-party options already circulating in the market.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone addressed the company’s direction directly on X. “This is about enabling people and businesses to make payments on our platforms using their preferred method,” Stone wrote. That framing positioned the effort as a payments accessibility play rather than a broader crypto initiative.
Reports also indicate Meta issued a “request for product” to third-party stablecoin firms. Stripe is reportedly among the candidates under consideration for parts of the project.
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison joined Meta’s board of directors last year, adding another layer of connection between the two companies.
WhatsApp Becomes the Gateway for Underserved Markets
The most likely near-term use case for Meta’s stablecoin adoption is WhatsApp-enabled payments in emerging economies.
India, Brazil, and Southeast Asia represent markets where WhatsApp already facilitates daily commerce at scale. Yet hundreds of millions of users there remain largely cut off from traditional banking services.
Maghnus Mareneck, co-CEO of blockchain firm Cosmos Labs, laid out the opportunity in direct terms. “WhatsApp is the payments Trojan horse in emerging markets across India, Brazil, and Southeast Asia, where hundreds of millions of people conduct daily commerce but remain underserved by traditional banking,” he wrote. He further noted that legacy remittance fees are costs “that stablecoins would make look absurd.”
Beyond messaging, Meta’s broader platform supports creator payouts, in-app purchases, and peer-to-peer transfers.
These transactions currently lose value through legacy remittance corridors that charge steep fees. Stablecoins could streamline these flows with faster settlement and lower transaction costs.
Analysts See Opportunity, but Note Real Challenges Ahead
Georgetown University professor Jim Angel pointed out that Meta already operates major communications networks.
He noted it is “very natural for them to want to add a payments network” on top of those existing systems. Angel’s research covers both payment systems and the evolving role of digital assets.
Josh Istas of The Strawhecker Group identified creator and contractor payouts as the clearest entry point. He described this as “the clearest strategic wedge,” citing “fees, FX friction, and settlement delays” that still create real pain across borders. Stablecoins directly address both issues, making them attractive for international disbursements.
Aaron Press of IDC Global offered a more measured view on adoption. “Presence is not the same as adoption, and outside of a small handful of markets, combining social payments with social interaction has been a tough sell,” he wrote, adding that “stablecoins don’t fundamentally change this.”
Meanwhile, Stripe’s co-founders reported in their annual letter that global stablecoin payment volume doubled last year to around $400 billion, writing that “stablecoin payments are advancing quietly and inexorably as real-world uptake continues apace.”
