Stripe Targets Stablecoin Card Expansion to More Than 100 Countries

What to Know

• Stripe plans to expand its stablecoin card programs to more than 100 countries by the end of the year.
• Henri Stern, CEO and co-founder of Privy, has taken on an additional role overseeing stablecoins and crypto across Stripe.
• Stripe acquired Privy in 2025 as part of its broader digital asset infrastructure strategy.
• Stablecoin card spending reached about $1.2 billion last month.
• Stablecoin card spending volume has tripled from a year earlier.
• Stripe has issued more than 400 million cards and processed hundreds of billions of dollars in card volume since 2018.
• Stripe acquired stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge for $1.1 billion in 2024.
• Current stablecoin card customers include Kraken, Ramp and Morse.
• Stripe is also exploring tokenized deposits, decentralized finance use cases and accepting more digital assets as payments.
• Stripe says the bulk of its crypto-related work remains focused on stablecoins.

Stripe Pushes Stablecoin Cards Into a Larger Global Footprint

Stripe is preparing a major global expansion of its stablecoin card programs, with plans to bring the offering to more than 100 countries by the end of the year. The move marks a notable step in the payments company’s effort to place digital dollars closer to everyday commerce, corporate spending and consumer transactions, rather than treating stablecoins as tools used mainly inside crypto trading venues.

The expansion gives Stripe a larger role in one of the fastest-developing areas of blockchain-based payments. Stablecoins are designed to track the value of traditional currencies, most commonly the U.S. dollar, while moving on crypto rails. For merchants and platforms, the appeal is not only the token itself, but the possibility of faster settlement, broader reach and programmable money movement across borders.

Stripe’s card strategy suggests that stablecoins are being positioned as an additional payment rail rather than a replacement for existing systems. That distinction matters. The company already serves businesses that rely on cards, bank transfers and local payment methods, and its stablecoin products appear intended to fit into that wider stack. For customers, the objective is to use digital dollars where they make sense without forcing a full migration away from familiar financial tools.

Henri Stern Takes Wider Crypto Role at Stripe

Henri Stern, the CEO and co-founder of Privy, has taken on an additional role overseeing stablecoins and crypto across Stripe. Privy, a digital asset wallet infrastructure firm, was acquired by Stripe in 2025, adding another layer to the company’s crypto payments capabilities.

Stern’s expanded responsibilities come as Stripe combines multiple pieces of infrastructure into a broader blockchain payments strategy. Wallet infrastructure, stablecoin issuance and movement, card programs and payment-focused blockchain development all form part of the same direction: making digital asset payments more accessible for companies that may not want to build crypto systems from the ground up.

That strategy is especially relevant for businesses that want to enter new markets. A company issuing corporate cards, for example, may face different banking relationships, compliance processes and payment connections from one country to the next. Stablecoins can offer an alternative way to fund card programs, provided that the necessary regulatory, operational and user experience requirements are met.

Stablecoin Card Spending Gains Momentum

Stablecoin card spending reached about $1.2 billion last month, and volume has tripled from a year earlier. While that remains small compared with the overall global card payments market, the pace of growth highlights rising interest in using digital dollars for spending activity beyond crypto exchange deposits, trading or cross-border transfers.

This shift is important because stablecoins have often been viewed primarily as a market utility inside digital asset trading. Traders use them to move between tokens, hold dollar exposure and transfer value between platforms. Increasingly, however, companies are testing stablecoins in practical payment contexts, including cards, payroll-like flows, supplier payments and international commerce.

Card programs can make stablecoin balances more usable because they connect digital asset value to existing merchant acceptance networks. Instead of requiring a merchant to directly accept a crypto asset, the user may spend through a card while the underlying funding source involves stablecoins. That approach can reduce friction for the merchant and make the experience feel more familiar to consumers and businesses.

Kraken, Ramp and Morse Among Current Customers

Stripe’s current stablecoin card customers include crypto exchange Kraken, fintech Ramp and payments app Morse. Each illustrates a different use case for the technology. A crypto exchange can explore allowing users to spend from accounts where digital assets are already held. A corporate payments platform can use stablecoin funding to extend cards into more markets. A payments app can incorporate digital dollars into consumer or business payment experiences.

For Ramp, the opportunity may involve taking a corporate card product into new countries without rebuilding separate banking and payments connections market by market. For Kraken, the use case is tied more closely to users who already hold digital assets and may want a pathway to spend value without first navigating a more complex off-ramp. These models reflect a broader trend in which stablecoin infrastructure is being embedded behind consumer-facing financial products.

Market participants are watching whether these programs can move from early adoption into mainstream business usage. The key test is not only whether stablecoin cards can process volume, but whether they can offer a clear advantage on cost, availability, settlement, treasury management or user reach. If stablecoin-funded cards simply replicate existing card products without improving the operating model, adoption may be slower. If they remove friction in difficult markets, demand could continue to build.

Bridge, Privy and Tempo Shape the Payments Stack

Stripe has been assembling several components for a larger blockchain payments push. The company acquired Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure business, for $1.1 billion in 2024. It later acquired Privy in 2025, adding wallet infrastructure that can help developers create smoother digital asset experiences for end users.

Stripe has also partnered with crypto investment firm Paradigm to develop Tempo, a blockchain designed for payments. In addition, Stripe is a founding investor in Open Standard, the company developing Open USD, a stablecoin intended to compete with leading digital dollar tokens. Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams recently moved to run Open Standard full time.

Taken together, these initiatives show that Stripe is not approaching stablecoins as a single product line. Instead, the company is building around issuance, custody-adjacent user experience, on-chain movement and card-based spending. For developers and businesses, that could create a more integrated path to launching payment products that touch both fiat and digital asset systems.

A Stablecoin-Agnostic Approach

Many stablecoin card programs currently use Circle’s USDC, but Stripe has signaled that it intends to remain stablecoin agnostic and blockchain agnostic. That stance is significant in a market where issuers, networks and infrastructure providers are competing to become core layers for digital dollar activity.

An agnostic model may appeal to businesses that do not want to be locked into one token, one chain or one infrastructure provider. Crypto payment systems are often described as modular because users can combine different wallets, blockchains, stablecoins and applications. Stripe’s challenge is to preserve that flexibility while also providing the reliability and simplicity that businesses expect from a major payments provider.

The company’s broader message is that stablecoins should become another option inside products businesses already use. Instead of asking companies to learn an entirely separate crypto stack, the goal is to let them mix stablecoin rails with established payment operations where it is practical. That approach could reduce the barrier for businesses that are interested in digital dollars but cautious about crypto complexity.

Tokenized Deposits and DeFi Remain on the Radar

Stripe is also exploring tokenized deposits, decentralized finance use cases and accepting more digital assets as payments. Even so, stablecoins remain the main focus of its crypto work. That prioritization reflects where commercial traction is currently strongest. Stablecoins have a clearer payments use case than many other digital assets because their value is designed to remain close to a reference currency.

Tokenized deposits could become another bridge between traditional banking and blockchain systems, though such products depend heavily on regulatory design, bank participation and market demand. Decentralized finance use cases may offer more open financial architecture, but they can also introduce complexity around risk, compliance and user protection. For a payments company serving a large business base, stablecoins may represent the most immediately practical part of the digital asset market.

FXCOINZ sees Stripe’s expansion as part of a wider industry shift in which stablecoin infrastructure is moving from crypto-native platforms into mainstream payment distribution. The next phase will depend on execution: availability across markets, compliance readiness, user experience, merchant acceptance, settlement quality and the ability to support businesses without forcing them into a fully crypto-native operating model.

Why This Matters for Crypto Payments

Stripe’s planned expansion reinforces the idea that stablecoins are becoming a payments infrastructure story, not only a crypto trading story. A major payments company pushing stablecoin cards into more than 100 countries gives the sector a higher-profile test of whether digital dollars can work at scale in real-world commerce.

The implications extend beyond card spending. If stablecoins become more common inside corporate cards, merchant platforms and consumer apps, they could influence how businesses manage treasury flows, cross-border payouts and access to dollar-linked value. Still, adoption is likely to be uneven. Regulatory treatment, local banking access and customer demand will vary across jurisdictions.

For the crypto market, the expansion highlights a maturing narrative. Earlier cycles often centered on speculative token growth. The current stablecoin payments push is more focused on utility, infrastructure and integration with existing financial behavior. That does not remove the risks or uncertainties, but it does show why payments companies are investing in digital dollar systems as part of their long-term product roadmaps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Stripe planning for stablecoin cards?

Stripe plans to expand its stablecoin card programs to more than 100 countries by the end of the year, broadening access to card products that can be funded or supported through stablecoin infrastructure.

How large is stablecoin card spending now?

Stablecoin card spending reached about $1.2 billion last month, and the volume has tripled compared with a year earlier.

Who is overseeing stablecoins and crypto at Stripe?

Henri Stern, CEO and co-founder of Privy, has taken on an additional role overseeing stablecoins and crypto across Stripe after Stripe acquired Privy in 2025.

Which companies are current customers of Stripe’s stablecoin card programs?

Current customers include Kraken, Ramp and Morse, reflecting use cases across crypto exchanges, corporate payments and payment apps.

Why are stablecoin cards important?

Stablecoin cards can connect digital dollar balances to familiar card payment experiences, allowing users and businesses to spend value through existing payment acceptance channels without requiring merchants to directly handle crypto assets.

What role does Bridge play in Stripe’s strategy?

Bridge is a stablecoin infrastructure company that Stripe acquired for $1.1 billion in 2024. Its technology supports Stripe’s broader effort to build stablecoin-based payment services.

Is Stripe only supporting one stablecoin?

Stripe has indicated that it intends to remain stablecoin agnostic and blockchain agnostic, even though many current programs use Circle’s USDC.

What other crypto areas is Stripe exploring?

Stripe is exploring tokenized deposits, decentralized finance use cases and accepting more digital assets as payments, although most of its current crypto work is focused on stablecoins.

Does this mean stablecoins will replace traditional payments?

Stripe’s approach points to stablecoins as an additional payment option rather than a full replacement for traditional payment rails, giving businesses more flexibility in how they move and spend money.