TLDR
- Stripe aims to bring stablecoin card services to over 100 nations before 2026 ends.
- Privy co-founder Henri Stern now heads cryptocurrency and stablecoin initiatives at Stripe.
- Monthly card transactions using stablecoins reached approximately $1.2 billion, marking a threefold increase year-over-year.
- Kraken, Ramp, and Morse are among the companies currently utilizing Stripe’s card infrastructure.
- The company is exploring tokenized deposits and decentralized finance applications while prioritizing stablecoin growth.
The payment processing giant Stripe is dramatically scaling its stablecoin-powered card offerings worldwide. According to a statement to CoinDesk, the company anticipates its stablecoin card services will be available in more than 100 nations before the year concludes.
Heading this expansion effort is Henri Stern, who previously co-founded the crypto wallet infrastructure provider Privy before Stripe acquired it. Stern has taken charge of all cryptocurrency and stablecoin operations within Stripe’s organization.
The payment processor has already partnered with multiple companies deploying its stablecoin card technology. Current clients include cryptocurrency platform Kraken, financial technology provider Ramp, and digital payment application Morse.
Digital Dollar Card Usage Sees Dramatic Surge
Stablecoin-based payment cards are capturing an increasing share of the digital dollar ecosystem, which exceeds $300 billion in total value. According to Paymentscan analytics, stablecoin card transactions totaled roughly $1.2 billion during the previous month.
This figure represents a tripling compared to the same period one year prior. However, it remains a modest fraction of worldwide card payment volume.
The upward trajectory demonstrates that digital dollars are expanding beyond cryptocurrency exchanges. Users increasingly deploy them for routine transactions and international money transfers.
Stripe’s approach involves integrating stablecoins into its existing infrastructure. Since 2018, the company has distributed over 400 million cards while facilitating hundreds of billions of dollars in payment processing.
The payment firm links this card network with Bridge, the stablecoin technology provider it purchased for $1.1 billion in 2024. This combination could enable a business like Ramp to issue corporate cards across multiple jurisdictions without establishing individual banking relationships in every territory.
Kraken has similarly explored enabling customers to make purchases directly from accounts holding cryptocurrency assets.
Payment Giant Constructs Broader Cryptocurrency Infrastructure
Stripe has executed multiple strategic initiatives supporting this vision. Following its acquisitions of Bridge and Privy, the company collaborated with cryptocurrency investment firm Paradigm to develop Tempo, a blockchain specifically designed for payment processing.
The company also became a founding investor in Open Standard, which is creating Open USD—a stablecoin positioned to rival Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT.
Zach Abrams, Bridge’s co-founder, recently transitioned to leading Open Standard on a full-time basis.
According to Stern, these offerings are engineered to integrate seamlessly without locking users into a closed ecosystem. Users working across Stripe, Bridge, Privy, Tempo, and Open USD should experience a cohesive environment, he explained.
Circle’s USDC currently powers many of Stripe’s card programs. However, Stern emphasized the company’s commitment to maintaining compatibility with various stablecoins and blockchain networks.
Stripe must accommodate both cryptocurrency-native users and the millions who continue transacting in traditional currencies through its platform, Stern noted. He highlighted that cryptocurrency’s fundamental advantage lies in its open architecture, and Stripe wants to preserve users’ ability to select and combine different technologies freely.
Beyond card services, Stripe is investigating tokenized bank deposits and decentralized finance applications. The company is also evaluating support for additional digital asset payment types.
Nevertheless, Stern confirmed that stablecoins remain Stripe’s primary focus. Expanding card availability beyond 100 countries represents the company’s central objective for the current year.



