Tech giants, including Apple, X, Google, and Airbnb, are reportedly holding early discussions with crypto companies about integrating stablecoins into their payment systems. Rich Widmann, head of web3 strategy at Google Cloud, confirmed that the company is exploring the use of stablecoin on its platform. According to anonymous individuals familiar with the matter who spoke with Fortune , the companies see stablecoins as a way to reduce transaction costs and streamline international payments. X owner Elon Musk has disclosed that the social media platform is developing X Money in partnership with Visa, seeking to link debit cards with digital wallets for effortless peer-to-peer payments. Sources told Fortune that X is considering incorporating stablecoins into its X Money and is in discussions with Stripe to potentially enable stablecoin-based transactions. Sources revealed to the news publication that Apple has been considering integrating stablecoins into Apple Pay and its wider payments infrastructure since January this year, including conversations with Circle’s senior director Matt Cavin. For Airbnb, stablecoin payments have been considered since early 2025 as a way to reduce the cut it pays to card networks like Visa and Mastercard. Talks entailed payment processor Worldpay, which recently announced stablecoin payout capabilities through its partner BNVK. Apple, X, Airbnb, and Google join other tech giants such as Meta and Uber in considering integrating dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies for cheaper transactions as the United States pivots toward a more friendly crypto regulatory environment under President Trump. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta was reported in May to be evaluating stablecoins’ potential to reduce international transaction costs for its users, such as Instagram creators, amid the evolving US regulations. More recently, the CEO of the ride-sharing firm Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, stated during the Bloomberg Tech Summit in San Francisco that it was researching the use of stablecoins as a potential payment option. Stablecoins hit their highest-ever market capitalization of $250 billion this month. Standard Chartered envisions the stablecoin market hitting $2 trillion by the end of 2028. One key catalyst: the expected passage of the GENIUS Act, a key legislative effort that could define a clear regulatory path for stablecoins and possibly spur more mass adoption in the US.
