Stablecoin Rails Seen as New Path to Global Financial Inclusion

Crypto executive Wei Zhou is betting that stablecoin rails can lower remittance costs and bring millions into the financial system. As CEO of Coins.ph, he has seen traditional finance fail users.

Zhou tried to move his savings from Asia to the US himself and faced slow, expensive, and difficult-to-navigate processes. He turned to Bitcoin and found an alternative to a failing system.

Crypto rails can reduce burden on remittance companies by allowing value to move outside conventional banking rails, giving users better rates and lower fees. The World Bank says the global average cost of cross-border remittances is 6.4%, double the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%.

Zhou believes stablecoins are quietly becoming one of the most important tools for global financial inclusion, particularly in markets with limited access to formal banking and volatile local currencies. He sees a three-step ladder: access to an account, then credit, then investing.