Stablecoins in Financial Infrastructure: Transforming Global Payments, Settlement, and Capital Markets

Stablecoins in Financial Infrastructure: Transforming Global Payments, Settlement, and Capital Markets

Hook

Stablecoins are entering early stages of becoming core financial infrastructure, already moving trillions of dollars annually at global scale. According to 2024-2025 data, B2B stablecoin payment volume has more than doubled, driven by institutional adoption in emerging markets like Brazil, where they represent critical financial survival tools.

What you'll learn

• Asset tokenization: How financial instruments move on-chain, requiring tokenized money and stablecoins for DVP (Delivery versus Payment) settlement.
• Speed and efficiency benefits: 24/7 settlement, instant money movement without intermediaries, and dramatic operational cost reduction.
• Retail use cases: For users in weak-currency economies, stablecoins represent value protection and access to global payment infrastructure.
• Secondary market infrastructure: Repos, clearing and settlement of traditional assets optimized via blockchain and stablecoins.
• Legacy system integration: How to connect blockchain with traditional systems like Pix while maintaining familiar user experience.
• Institutional use cases: Prime brokerage, treasury management, and collateral management in capital markets with APY ranges from 3-50%+ depending on asset class.

Session summary

Institutional adoption stages: According to analysis from global financial institutions including BTG Pactual, Visa, and infrastructure providers, stablecoins are in early mainstream adoption stages. Stripe and Western Union have made significant investments in stablecoins as payment rails alternative to traditional banking, indicating institutional confidence in the technology.

Wholesale market benefits: The global repo market moves trillions daily. Through blockchain tokenization and stablecoins, transactions currently overnight can execute intraday, unlocking capital trapped in slow settlement cycles. Bank custody institutions have validated this model.

Retail and wholesale payment convergence: While retail sees stablecoins as financial survival tool (inflation protection), institutions see opportunity to transform post-trade processes. Both segments require the same base infrastructure: stable digital money, 24/7, frictionless.

Invisible payment infrastructure: The vision is end users don't know which specific blockchain or stablecoin they use. Companies like Redpay and B2C2 already have production solutions that swap multiple stablecoins (USDT, USDC, USDG, PYUSD, BRL1) at FX rates better than local intermediaries, with instant settlement.

Unique programmability properties: Unlike traditional money, stablecoins enable software to run on top. Emerging use cases include precision marketing via programmable micro-transactions and improved underwriting through real-time wallet analytics.

Watch the full panel

Recording available on YouTube - MERGE Madrid 2025: Stablecoins as financial infrastructure panel with participants from BTG Pactual, Visa, Redpay, and B2C2.

FAQs

What's the difference between stablecoins as fiat bridge versus final settlement currency?
In developed markets, stablecoins primarily facilitate value transfer. In emerging markets, they also function as store of value when local currency is volatile. Long-term trend is toward stablecoin natives in each currency (BRL1 in Brazil, for example).

How do governments regulate stablecoins without stalling innovation?
Emerging models require: (1) licenses for stablecoin issuers, (2) consumer protection standards (fund segregation, monthly audits), (3) anti-money laundering compliance, (4) blockchain interoperability. Brazil and LatAm countries advancing specific regulatory frameworks.

How fast are institutions adopting these technologies?
According to 2024-2025 data, B2B stablecoin volume doubled year-over-year. Brazil leads growth in LatAm, with institutions including tier-1 banks, fintech, and payment service providers adopting RLUSD, USDC and local solutions for cross-border operations.