Visa and Mastercard Skeptical of Stablecoins for Daily Payments: Focus on B2B

Leading payment giants Visa and Mastercard are tempering expectations for stablecoins in consumer transactions, shifting their strategic focus towards business-to-business (B2B) applications. Despite the growing crypto market, executives from both companies express skepticism about the current viability of stablecoins like USDC for everyday retail purchases. They cite challenges such as scalability, regulatory uncertainty, and a lack of compelling consumer benefits over existing digital payment systems. Instead, Visa and Mastercard are exploring stablecoin integration for cross-border corporate settlements and treasury operations, where blockchain technology can offer greater efficiency and cost reduction. This pragmatic approach highlights a maturation in the financial sector's adoption of digital assets, prioritizing institutional use cases over immediate consumer hype.