Observed Signal · May 9, 2025 · Market Analysis · Source: Trending Topics · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Stablecoin Business Booms as Major Tech Companies Enter Market
The article explains why the stablecoin business is booming as a growing number of major tech and payment companies enter the market. Market leader Tether generated an estimated $10 billion in profit in 2024, backed largely by its holdings of US Treasury bonds. Circle, issuer of the second-largest stablecoin USDC, grew 78% year-over-year and has filed for a NYSE IPO under the ticker CRCL. PayPal launched a 3.7% reward feature for its PYUSD stablecoin, while Stripe acquired Bridge for $1.1 billion and introduced stablecoin financial accounts. Visa and Mastercard are expanding stablecoin payment capabilities through partnerships, and Meta is exploring stablecoin payouts for content creators. World Liberty Financial and Ripple also launched new stablecoins. The business model relies on issuing dollar-pegged tokens against real dollars, which issuers invest in interest-bearing assets, while offering cheaper cross-border transactions for users.
Highlights the accelerating mainstream adoption of stablecoins by major tech and payment companies, signaling a transformation of payment infrastructure relevant to e-commerce and creator monetization in the broader digital economy.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Tether, issuer of USDT, earned an estimated $10 billion in profit in 2024 and holds $98.5 billion in US Treasury bonds.
- Circle's USDC grew 78% year-over-year in 2024, surpassed $20 trillion in cumulative transaction volume, and filed an S-1 for a NYSE IPO under ticker CRCL.
- PayPal introduced a 3.7% reward feature for its PYUSD stablecoin in April 2025.
- Stripe acquired stablecoin infrastructure provider Bridge for $1.1 billion in February 2025.
- Mastercard launched a Multi-Token Network (MTN) and announced partnerships with OKX and Nuvei.
- Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin, approved by NYDFS in December 2024, is available on XRP Ledger and Ethereum with a market cap over $300 million.
Connected Companies & Entities
8 Entities mapped“Stripe hat seine Stablecoin-Strategie mit der Übernahme von Bridge für 1,1 Milliarden Dollar im Februar 2025 erheblich ausgebaut....”
“Tether, das USDT herausgibt, scheffelt mit USDT Gewinne ohne Ende – 2024 sollen es zehn Milliarden Dollar gewesen sein....”
“Circle, der Emittent des zweitgrößten Stablecoins USDC, verzeichnete 2024 ein beeindruckendes Wachstum von 78% im Jahresvergleich und hat se...”
“PayPal hat im April 2025 eine Belohnungsfunktion für seinen Stablecoin PYUSD eingeführt, die Nutzern eine Rendite von 3,7% bietet....”
“Visa hat eine strategische Partnerschaft mit Bridge (=Stripe) geschlossen, um Stablecoin-Zahlungen weltweit zugänglicher zu machen....”
“Mastercard hat umfassende End-to-End-Funktionen für Stablecoin-Transaktionen entwickelt und Partnerschaften mit OKX und Nuvei angekündigt....”
“Meta erkundet aktuell die Nutzung von Stablecoins für Auszahlungen, insbesondere an Content-Creator auf seinen Plattformen wie Instagram....”
“Ripple hat mit seinem Stablecoin RLUSD, der im Dezember 2024 von der NYDFS genehmigt wurde, seine Position im Krypto-Markt weiter ausgebaut....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
TrueLayer Raises $27M Led by CDP Venture Capital
UK-based open banking payments fintech TrueLayer has secured a $27 million investment round led by Italy's CDP Venture Capital, with participation from new and existing investors. The company, backed by Stripe and Tiger Global, aims to strengthen its presence in Italy, where it already employs about 70 people in Milan. The funds will support further expansion and hiring through 2027. TrueLayer, founded in 2016 by Italians Francesco Simoneschi and Luca Martinetti, offers account-to-account payments as an alternative to card networks like Visa and Mastercard. The company has raised approximately $350 million in total.
AmEx and Perplexity Launch AI CFO for Small Businesses
American Express and Perplexity have launched AI CFO tools for U.S. small businesses, featuring about 10 Skills within Perplexity Computer that turn Amex Small Business Card data into cash-flow forecasts, reconciliation, and tax-season preparation. The AI CFO can forecast cash but cannot make payments, a deliberate limitation as AmEx retains payment authority to capture the value of AI CFOs for SMEs. The article also discusses Stripe's acquisition of Parafin, a lender behind platforms like DoorDash, Gusto, Amazon and Walmart Marketplace, and compares the AmEx/Perplexity offering with Anthropic's Claude for Small Business and Meta's Muse.
OKX Raises $25B Valuation with Circle, Ripple, Standard Chartered
Crypto exchange OKX has closed a new funding round at a $25 billion valuation, with Circle, Ripple, Qube Research & Technologies (QRT), and SC Ventures (Standard Chartered's investment arm) joining as investors. The amount invested and equity stakes were not disclosed. The investors are all existing business partners of OKX: Circle issues USDC, Ripple's stablecoin RLUSD is integrated into OKX's order book, QRT provides liquidity, and Standard Chartered custodies BlackRock's BUIDL fund used as collateral. CEO Star Xu framed the round as strategically aligned rather than driven by financial need. The valuation matches the $25 billion from ICE's investment in March, and OKX is considering a US IPO within four years. The company also launched OKX Money to convert local currencies into dollar stablecoins for emerging markets.
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