Key Highlights
- Stripe is rolling out USD-settled stablecoin payments on Ethereum, Base, and Polygon starting December 12, 2025.
- Payments are settled in USD and integrated into Stripe’s Optimized Checkout Suite with no code changes needed.
- A 1.5% fee will be charged per transaction with no flat fee, and merchants can accept stablecoins like USDC.
Stripe, one of the leading payment processors in the world, is reportedly rolling out a new way for businesses to accept payments using stablecoins.
Starting from December 12, the firm will let merchants take stablecoin payments on three major blockchains, including Ethereum, Base, and Polygon, according to the information shared by the CEO of RWA.xyz.
This integration would allow customers to carry out payments using stablecoins like USDC via digital wallets, while businesses continue receiving the payment in US dollars.
“Stablecoins are an increasingly popular payment method for buyers around the world. We noticed that a significant share of your customers already have crypto wallets, but aren’t able to use them to pay you,” Stripe said in the shared email.
Easy integration for merchants
The feature has been integrated into Stripe’s Optimized Checkout Suite, meaning that no changes are required for merchants. Payments made with stablecoins would be converted for settlement in the merchant payments balance in US dollars.
However, Stripe will charge a 1.5% transaction fee with no flat fee, offering an easy and predictable option for businesses looking to expand into crypto payments.
The development will allow merchants to now accept popular USD-backed stablecoins, giving their customers more flexibility while being stable in terms of price fluctuations associated with other cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. It will also allow businesses to tap into a growing group of buyers who already hold crypto wallets but may not necessarily use them.
Increasing use of stablecoin as payment method
The use of stablecoin as a payment method has grown rapidly in the last two years. According to a recent IMF report, the two largest stablecoins, Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC), have tripled in value since 2023 to around $260 billion, with a trading volume of up to 90%.
Stablecoins are mainly used to trade crypto and send money across borders, with the Asia market dominating it with the highest trading activity so far. Meanwhile, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East also show high activity compared to their economies.
Stripe’s own blockchain for payments
Stripe has drawn more attention since announcing its own blockchain platform, Tempo, in September. This initiative was launched in partnership with leading venture firm Paradigm.
In October, the company secured $500 million in funding led by Thrive Capital, a firm run by Joshua Kushner, just shortly after Stripe acquired Bridge for over $1 billion. These movements highlight Stripe’s strategy to build a complete infrastructure for digital payment and combine it with its global payment platform using blockchain technology.
Recently, Swedish fintech company Klarna announced plans to issue its own USD-backed stablecoin, KlarnaUSD, on the Tempo blockchain. The stablecoin will integrate Klarna’s “buy now, pay later” service on-chain for 114 million users, offering faster cross-border payments and lower fees.
