Stablecoins to Become a Fundamental Layer of Global Finance by 2026
According to Ripple President Monica Long, stablecoins are poised to become a crucial component of global finance within the next two years. Long believes that stablecoins are transitioning from experimental pilots to large-scale production in mainstream payments, marking a significant shift in the asset class. She expects stablecoins to become the standard infrastructure for cross-border payments, embedded directly into the legacy financial rails used by banks, merchants, and businesses worldwide.
Long’s expectations are based on recent developments by traditional payments giants, which she sees as evidence that stablecoins are becoming “firmly integrated into established systems.” The introduction of USDC settlement for merchants by Visa and Stripe is a notable example, as blockchain-based rails are being adopted into existing enterprise payment streams rather than functioning in parallel. As Long notes, “In 2026, stablecoins will be integrated into existing financial rails and will be fully integrated into global payment systems within the next five years.”
Stablecoins Embedded in Global Payment Rails
Long points to the growing adoption of stablecoins in global payment systems, with cross-border payments likely to be the first area where stablecoins emerge as a standard settlement mechanism. She cites the example of USDC settlement for merchants by Visa and Stripe, which marks a turning point in the adoption of blockchain-based rails into existing enterprise payment streams. As stablecoins become more widely accepted, Long expects them to unlock capital and improve cash flow management for businesses, particularly in Europe, where an estimated 1.3 trillion euros in working capital remains tied up in accounts payable, receivables, and inventories.
B2B Payments Drive the Next Wave of Adoption
While early stablecoin growth was dominated by retail trading and remittances, Long expects business-to-business (B2B) payments to lead the next phase of adoption. B2B payments already account for the majority of stablecoin flows, and Long believes this trend will accelerate as companies look for efficiencies. Stablecoins have the potential to unlock capital and improve cash flow management for businesses, making them an attractive solution for B2B payments.
Crypto Shifts from Speculative to Structural
Long also outlines a structural shift across the crypto sector, with crypto evolving from an alternative asset class to the operational level of modern finance. She expects institutional balance sheets to comprise more than $1 trillion in tokenized and digital assets by the end of 2026. Regulatory clarity is a key factor in this transition, with frameworks such as the EU Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) providing the legal basis for a compliant stablecoin market.
Custody and M&A to Accelerate
As institutional interest grows, Long predicts increasing consolidation across crypto infrastructure, particularly in custody services. She explains that the commercialization of custody is likely to trigger a new wave of mergers and acquisitions as traditional banks, service providers, and crypto firms look to accelerate their blockchain strategies. Long expects that more than half of the world’s top 50 banks will formalize at least one new digital asset custody relationship in 2026.
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