Stripe singled out stablecoins as the most powerful sector of crypto. In 2025, despite the overall asset slide, “stablecoin summer” led to the expansion of the influence of dollar-based tokens.
Stripe pointed out stablecoin activity picked up in 2025, doubling its payment volume. In the latest 2025 report, Stripe noted that stablecoins not only increased their supply, but added new use cases and payment channels.
As of early 2026, the stablecoin supply stagnated at around $306B, led by USDT and USDC. Despite this, the supply is expected to run up to $400B by the end of the year.
As Cryptopolitan reported earlier, Stripe has not abandoned its connection to crypto, recently opening a new partnership with Crypto.com.
Stripe also noted 2025 was a good year for fintech companies, which were able to launch global apps based on expanding demand for fast non-bank payments. Stablecoins are also becoming a part of the fintech mix.
Stripe saw a divergence in stablecoin creation
The big difference in 2025 was the rationale behind minting new stablecoins. For nearly a decade, stablecoins were minted in response to price fluctuations, leading to accusations that stablecoin issuers artificially inflated BTC.
In 2025, a clear divergence happened, claimed Stripe. BTC dropped precipitously, while the supply and payment volume of stablecoins remained elevated.
Stablecoins had a wider role as a payment tool, including for B2B platforms. Additionally, stablecoins expanded their importance in DeFi as collateral and sources of liquidity.
The growth of stablecoins as a payment tool added new capabilities. The Y Combinator startup incubator can now disburse funding in stablecoins, held in a special Stripe financial account. The stablecoins can be used for team payments and work globally, excluding restricted regions.
Stablecoins have the advantage of being deployed through smart contracts, automating some payments and signing transactions. The expansion tracks the inclusion of digital wallets into company products. White label stablecoins also emerged in 2025, though still with limited adoption.
Stripe prepares for Tempo main net
Stripe focuses on the interoperability between crypto and fiat. In 2025, Visa introduced a new batch of stablecoin-spending cards. Stablecoin cards became one of the most widely used and intuitive instruments to bridge crypto and traditional payments.
Stripe also launched its native Tempo project, a blockchain specifically built for payments, incubated in partnership with Paradigm. It is now competing to become one of the leading stablecoin providers, as others, like Facebook, are re-entering the race.
Tempo has already struck partnerships with Visa, Nubank, and Shopify, extending the influence of Stripe. Klarna has also tested a new asset, KlarnaUSD, which will use the Tempo network.
Tempo is still in the testnet stage and is expected to launch at some point in 2026. The network aims to offer agentic payments and microtransactions, the latest trend in crypto activity.
