Cross-border payment volume using stablecoins surged 35-fold between 2020 and mid-2024. However, this transaction boom has been uneven and has failed to fully penetrate mainstream financial markets. Juan Marchetti, Director of the Trade in Services and Investment Division at the World Trade Organization (WTO), revealed that these fiat-pegged crypto assets still account for only 3% of total global payments today.
Marchetti dismissed concerns that blockchain networks are unprepared to handle daily money transfers at a massive scale. He emphasized that the main barrier to stablecoin adoption in international trade is not technological infrastructure, but rather immature and fragmented regulatory frameworks across global jurisdictions.
Many Rules, Little Certainty
The slow pace of developing international legal standards was highlighted in an October 2025 report by the Financial Stability Board (FSB). The agency’s data shows that only 11 out of 28 surveyed jurisdictions have finalized their stablecoin regulatory frameworks. With a completion rate of just 39%, multinational corporations are forced to navigate a patchwork of conflicting guidelines when moving business funds across borders.
Five Untapped Advantages
The WTO research identified that the lack of regulatory clarity prevents stablecoins from eliminating five major friction points in international trade finance. These on-chain settlement instruments are fundamentally positioned to slash high fees associated with traditional correspondent banking and accelerate settlement speeds previously bogged down by clearing across time zones.
The study also detailed stablecoins’ ability to resolve poor visibility in fund movements and ease foreign exchange restrictions across developing nations. As a fifth point, limited financing access that has long hindered small businesses could be significantly expanded through liquidity provided by decentralized finance ecosystems.
As long as policymakers fail to establish unified legal standards, these five efficiency solutions remain largely theoretical for most global exporters and importers. While distributed ledger networks already provide instant settlement tools, the lack of cross-border legal frameworks ensures legacy banking payment rails will maintain their dominance for the foreseeable future.
Reported by Cointelegraph.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
