New & Rapidly Growing Stablecoins

(HedgeCo.Net) The long-promised utility of cryptocurrency for everyday purchases is finally materializing, driven not by volatile assets like Bitcoin, but by regulated USD-backed stablecoins. Following the passage of the bipartisan “Payment Stablecoin Clarity Act” earlier this year, major payment processors have rapidly integrated stablecoin settlement rails.

Starting today, a pilot program involving two major national retail chains allows customers to pay using approved stablecoins (like USDC or PayPal’s PYUSD) at the point of sale, with the merchant receiving settled USD instantly.

This differs significantly from previous crypto payment attempts where merchants had to wait for third parties to convert crypto to fiat, often incurring high fees and delays. The new system utilizes high-speed Layer-2 blockchain networks to process transactions faster and cheaper than traditional credit card networks, which typically charge merchants 2-3% and take days to settle.

If the pilot proves successful, industry experts anticipate a wide rollout by mid-2026, potentially challenging the dominance of the traditional Visa and Mastercard duopoly for the first time in decades.