Stablecoins Emerge as 24/7 Cross-Border Payment Infrastructure

Stablecoins are emerging as a key component of cross-border payment infrastructure, providing 24/7 access to dollar-denominated liquidity. This is particularly visible in countries like the Philippines, where overseas workers send billions of dollars in remittances each year.

Cross-border payments have become increasingly digital, but traditional banking and settlement hours can be a bottleneck. Stablecoins like USDT and USDC offer a solution by allowing continuous trading and settlement across blockchain networks, even when banks are closed.

According to data from Coinbase Institutional, weekend activity accounts for around 20% of weekly adjusted stablecoin volume. Research firm Artemis tracked $136 billion in stablecoin payment settlements between January 2023 and February 2025, with an annualized pace reaching approximately $122 billion by August 2025.

Coins.ph, a Philippine crypto exchange and e-wallet licensed by the country's central bank, has built USDT and USDC-to-peso liquidity to meet demand. The company's CEO, Wei Zhou, notes that traditional FX markets are often closed or have changing prices on weekends, creating uncertainty for remittance companies.

Remitly and Coins.ph launched a remittance solution in early 2026 that converts U.S. or Canadian fiat into stablecoins before delivering Philippine pesos to a Coins.ph wallet or connected bank account. This structure enables near-real-time settlement and is already being used by some payment providers.