Meta is preparing to bring stablecoin payments to its family of apps later this year, aiming to reach nearly four billion users worldwide.
The company’s approach relies on a third-party partner to handle stablecoin-based transactions and a new in-app wallet, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Unlike its 2019 Libra project, which faced regulatory pushback and ultimately shut down, Meta will not issue its own token. Instead, the strategy focuses on enabling payments in a “stablecoin-agnostic” way, letting users and businesses transact with digital dollars directly within Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
Partnership with third-party providers
Meta has reportedly issued requests for proposals to crypto infrastructure firms, with Stripe emerging as the leading candidate. Stripe, which acquired the stablecoin platform Bridge last year and whose CEO Patrick Collison joined Meta’s board in 2025, brings both stablecoin infrastructure and regulatory credentials to the table.
Stripe recently received a national bank trust charter, allowing it to custody crypto and manage stablecoin reserves directly. Last year, the company processed $1.9 trillion in payment volume, up 34%, while Bridge alone saw transaction volumes quadruple.
A source familiar with Meta’s plans described the approach as cautious but strategic: “They want to do this, but at arm’s length.”
By relying on an established provider, Meta avoids the regulatory and reputational risks it encountered with Libra while still opening its massive user base to crypto-enabled payments.
Reaching a global audience
The potential scale is immense. Meta’s apps collectively reach nearly four billion unique users per month. WhatsApp alone has over three billion users, with an 84% daily open rate and more than 100 billion messages sent each day. Facebook and Instagram also maintain active user bases in the billions, making the ecosystem one of the largest digital networks on the planet.
By integrating stablecoin payments, Meta could simplify transactions, reduce fees associated with traditional banking, and expand into cross-border payments and “social commerce.”
This move positions the company alongside platforms like Elon Musk’s X and Telegram, which are also exploring in-app payments and super app strategies.
Lessons from Libra and Diem
Meta’s earlier attempts to launch Libra, later renamed Diem, ran into regulatory obstacles and public scrutiny, including fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Libra initially aimed to become a global digital currency backed by a basket of national currencies.
Regulatory pushback forced the project to scale back, and Meta eventually shuttered it in 2022.
This time, the regulatory environment is shifting. New U.S. legislation, including the GENIUS Act, provides a legal framework for stablecoin issuers, although the full regulatory structure is still in progress. Meta’s third-party integration allows the company to leverage stablecoins without directly issuing its own token, sidestepping many of the hurdles that hampered Libra.
Why it matters
Meta’s renewed focus on stablecoins signals that crypto payments are gaining real traction, even as broader crypto markets fluctuate. By embedding digital dollar payments into apps used by billions, the company could reshape social commerce, peer-to-peer transfers, and cross-border remittances, while quietly testing adoption patterns at massive scale.
As Andy Stone, Meta communications director, explained,
“Nothing has changed; there is still no Meta stablecoin. This is about enabling people and businesses to make payments on our platforms using their preferred method.”
For Stripe and other infrastructure providers, the partnership reinforces the importance of stablecoin rails in mainstream financial systems, with digital payments quietly scaling alongside traditional finance.
Oleksii Shumak
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