John McNaught, SVP, Head of Payouts at Worldpay, shares how stablecoins could be a
gamechanger in the payouts space, and what it means for fintech.
Digital assets are increasingly at the forefront of the discourse around payments. Stablecoins are
reshaping payouts, an often overlooked yet fundamentally important part of the process.
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Payouts have traditionally been done through bank transfers, card networks, and digital wallets.
However, more and more businesses are exploring stablecoin rails as a third (and possibly, optimal)
option. For cross-border businesses especially, stablecoins are making a meaningful impact.
Stablecoin payouts are an alternative to fiat-based, more traditional payouts. Unlike fiat-based,
stablecoin payouts offer fast, transparent, real-time transactions and at a low cost. Using public
blockchain technology, stablecoins allow funds to be moved in less than a matter of minutes.
Importantly, stablecoin payouts don’t require businesses to go all-in on crypto. They can be offered as
an optional payout method, alongside traditional rails. The goal isn’t to replace fiat. It’s to give
businesses and users more options; to transfer money in the fastest, most cost-effective, and easiest
to access format. Sometimes, that’s a local bank transfer. Increasingly, it’s a stablecoin.
Where This Matters Most
The use cases for stablecoin payouts are diverse but they’re particularly compelling in:
- Global marketplaces: platforms that pay high volume, low value transactions worldwide can
reduce FX friction and payout latency. - Gaming platforms: Real-time, round-the-clock payouts create better user experiences and
build trust. - Emerging markets: supports countries where there is limited access to local bank branches
but high digital wallet adoption
In Southeast Asia, we’re seeing growing interest from remittance providers, freelance platforms, and
even loyalty programmes exploring stablecoin payout models.
With the rise of enterprise-ready crypto infrastructure, stablecoin payout solutions have already
moved beyond experimentation into full deployment. Through our partnership with BVNK, Worldpay
will, in the near future, be able to enable businesses to process stablecoin payouts through
embedded wallets infrastructure. This ensures a secure, compliant, and ready to scale method.
This isn’t a theoretical case study; it’s an active offering used by companies seeking faster, more
global funds transfer options. The demand we’ve seen confirms a growing appetite from businesses.
Stablecoin payouts offer flexibility to users and partners, especially in markets where traditional rails
underperform.
For users, it means seamless access to earnings in a digital asset format. For
businesses, it is the ability to bypass banking delays or FX constraints which creates a meaningful
improvement in service delivery.
Trust, Compliance, and Control
Of course, adding stablecoin payouts isn’t without regulatory and compliance hurdles but by
partnering with a company like Worldpay, we can take care of the below for you, so it is just like
flipping a switch:
- Regulatory compliance: In Singapore, stablecoin issuers must now be regulated under the
Payment Services Act as part of a new mandate by the Monetary Authority of Singapore
(MAS), businesses must also consider their KYC and AML procedures - Onboarding and user readiness: Not every user is crypto-savvy, platforms need intuitive
wallet options, clear guides and customer support - Treasury operations: stablecoins must be acquired, held securely and accounted for in
financial systems
For example, clients can settle in fiat; Worldpay handles the conversion and delivery of USDC through
its BVNK integration. It’s stablecoin functionality, with enterprise reliability
Reimagining Financial Infrastructure
Stablecoin payouts reveal something more fundamental: the need for financial infrastructure that
supports global and programmable growth.
For true efficacy, stablecoins require reliable APIs and wallets to allow for seamless automation, low
fee blockchains to keep the process cost-effective, and ease of useability. Whilst from regulators
perspective, stablecoins are prompting a fast re-evaluation of compliance strategies and models. This
includes new licensing and regulatory approvals, technology risk standards to ensure data protection
and operational resilience as well as customer protection.
There is no doubt stablecoins are playing a pivotal role in transforming the mechanics of payouts.
They are enabling value to move with fewer barriers, reaching users who were previously
underserved, and offering a bridge between traditional and digital finance.
The next wave of growth in stablecoin adoption will come from embedded financial experiences,
where stablecoins are used behind the scenes to improve how users are paid, compensated,
rewarded, or refunded. In this context, payouts become a proving ground for stablecoins as a tool of
real-world utility.
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We are at the intersection of financial infrastructure and emerging technology, and this evolution is
only just beginning. The winners in this space won’t be those who move fastest, but those who build
in ways that are interoperable, resilient, and user centric.
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Stablecoin payouts won’t replace traditional rails, but they fill critical infrastructure gaps that traditional
systems have yet to solve. They are already showing us what’s possible when we blend the stability
of fiat with the flexibility of crypto. We’re entering a new era of money movement, which is part fiat,
part digital asset. The future belongs to platforms that can handle both without adding friction. For the
users receiving their funds instantly, across borders, with minimal friction, that future isn’t theoretical,
it’s already here.
John McNaught is the SVP, Head of Payouts at Worldpay, a leading global payments provider
helping businesses scale seamlessly with innovative, secure, and efficient payout solutions tailored to
dynamic global markets.
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