Contrary to the Western view of crypto as a speculative asset, its rapid adoption in Asia is driven by utility. Dollar-pegged stablecoins provide a cheaper, faster solution for real-world needs like remittances, B2B payments, and freelancer payouts in regions with volatile currencies or inefficient banking, transforming crypto from curiosity into infrastructure.

While payment systems like SWIFT or credit cards compromise on cost, speed, or global reach, stablecoins are the first rail to excel at all three. Armstrong argues this makes them an underappreciated technology with massive growth potential for global commerce.

The inability to reliably pay third parties via traditional banking (ACH, SEPA) was a major barrier to corporate stablecoin adoption. The recent rise of orchestration platforms that seamlessly convert stablecoins to fiat at the point of payment was the "missing link" enabling products like Squads' Altitude business account.

Instead of funding another stablecoin protocol, the more viable investment is in the tooling layer. This includes payment systems, SDKs, and accounting software (like triple-entry bookkeeping) that enable small businesses globally to integrate stablecoin payments into their existing fiat workflows.

Stablecoins uniquely combine speed (<1 second), low cost (<0.1 cent), and global reach. This positions them to dominate global payments, outperforming traditional systems like Swift (slow, costly) and credit cards (high fees), especially for B2B cross-border transactions where friction is highest.

Slash's CEO explains that stablecoins are a game-changer for international expansion. They allow a U.S.-based fintech to provide USD banking services to businesses globally, bypassing the slow and expensive process of securing licenses in each country. This creates a path for fintechs to become global from the start.

Before stablecoins, launching financial services in N countries required N² unique integrations. Now, companies can build on a single dollar-stablecoin standard and instantly operate globally. Adding other local stablecoins becomes a simple N-style addition, radically simplifying global expansion.

Stablecoins will likely enter the US market not through domestic retail payments, but via international network effects, similar to WhatsApp. Initial US users will be those interacting with the global economy, and adoption will spread inward as these cross-border connections become more common.

Despite a 50% drop in Bitcoin's price, stablecoin payment volume doubled in 2025, with 60% of it representing B2B payments. This divergence signals that stablecoins are maturing into a utility for real-world commerce, independent of the volatile crypto asset markets.