Tech Giants Apple, X, Airbnb, and Google alleged to be investigating the implementation of digital currency transactions, known as stablecoins, in their respective platforms - according to a recent report.
Big Tech and Stablecoins: A Promising Future, Yet to Be Realized
In the ever-evolving world of technology, stablecoins are making waves as a potential game-changer in the payment landscape. Despite the buzz, major players like Apple, X (formerly Twitter), Airbnb, Google, Meta, Uber, and others have yet to widely adopt or announce the use of stablecoins directly for their payment systems.
According to Fortune's report, these tech giants have been exploring the use of stablecoins for payments since the beginning of the year. However, as of mid-2025, no public, detailed information or announcements have been made to confirm these explorations.
Stablecoins, which leverage blockchain to offer fast, secure, and cost-effective global payments primarily settled in US dollar–pegged tokens, are growing rapidly. Although they represent less than 1% of global money flows with around $30 billion daily transaction volume, they hold immense potential.
The GENIUS Act, signed into U.S. law in July 2025, sets regulatory guardrails for stablecoin issuers, allowing only permitted or registered foreign issuers to operate stablecoins for payments in the U.S. This law aims to clear up fragmented regulations and foster responsible growth in stablecoin use.
Payment networks like Mastercard are proactively building infrastructure and compliance frameworks to integrate stablecoins into existing payment systems. Mastercard has developed tools like the Multi-Token Network and Crypto Credential to enable safe, compliant stablecoin transactions at scale, bridging traditional finance and crypto ecosystems.
The greatest immediate stablecoin impact is expected in B2B payments, international remittances, and treasury management. Cross-border trade payments could become faster and cheaper compared to existing systems like SWIFT.
While the Big Tech firms remain dependent on traditional fiat-based payment processors or are exploring blockchain technologies in other capacities, direct stablecoin payment adoption at scale is not yet verified. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshani told Bloomberg that stablecoins are one of the more interesting instantiations of crypto and are promising for global companies.
In summary, while stablecoins are poised to reshape the payment landscape significantly and regulatory frameworks are aligning to support their growth, direct stablecoin use by major Big Tech firms for payments is not yet established or publicly confirmed. The transition to stablecoin-based payments is largely driven by fintech, payment processors, and financial institutions working behind the scenes to create the infrastructure and legal environment needed for broader adoption.
[1] CoinDesk. (2025). Stablecoins: A Guide. [online] Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/info/stablecoins/
[2] The Hill. (2025). Senate passes bill to regulate stablecoins. [online] Available at: https://thehill.com/policy/finance/604057-senate-passes-bill-to-regulate-stablecoins
[3] Mastercard Newsroom. (2025). Mastercard unveils new tools to enable safe and compliant stablecoin transactions at scale. [online] Available at: https://newsroom.mastercard.com/us/en/press-releases/mastercard-unveils-new-tools-to-enable-safe-and-compliant-stablecoin-transactions-at-scale/
[4] The Block. (2025). Stablecoins: The new frontier for cross-border payments. [online] Available at: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/114289/stablecoins-the-new-frontier-for-cross-border-payments
- Insights gleaned from various news sources suggest that despite the potential of stablecoins in reshaping the payment landscape, direct adoption by major Big Tech firms like Apple, X (formerly Twitter), Airbnb, Google, Meta, Uber, and others is not yet publicly confirmed or established.
- As the regulatory landscape for stablecoins evolves, with the GENIUS Act setting guardrails for stablecoin issuers, financial institutions and fintech companies like Mastercard are proactively developing compliance frameworks and infrastructure for stablecoin transactions, offering promising news for the future of business and finance.
- In the realm of technology, stablecoins, which leverage blockchain for fast, secure, and cost-effective global payments, hold immense potential for businesses, particularly in areas like B2B payments, international remittances, and treasury management. However, stabilizing their wider adoption still remains a work-in-progress.
