Key Takeaways
- Early-stage discussions are underway between major tech companies and crypto firms regarding stablecoin integration.
- Google Cloud has already started accepting PYUSD, showcasing its commitment to stablecoin payments.
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Major tech firms, including Apple, X, Airbnb, and Google, have initiated early talks with crypto companies to evaluate stablecoin integration, Fortune reported Friday, citing sources with knowledge of the discussions.
Rich Widmann, head of web3 strategy at Google Cloud, confirmed that the company is exploring the use of stablecoin on its platform.
The tech giants are exploring stablecoins as a way to reduce transaction costs and improve cross-border payments. For X, the potential integration may fall in line with Elon Musk’s push to build a payments layer into his “every app.”
Musk has confirmed that X is developing X Money in partnership with Visa, aiming to connect debit cards with digital wallets for easy peer-to-peer payments.
Sources told Fortune that X is considering incorporating stablecoins into its X Money and is in talks with Stripe about the potential integration. The initiative, previously led by former head of consumer products Patrick Traughber, is now being directed by senior software engineer Payam Abedi.
Stripe is also in early talks with banks to explore incorporating stablecoins into their services, following its acquisition of Bridge, Bloomberg reported last week.
For Airbnb, exploration has been ongoing since early 2025, with discussions involving payment processor Worldpay, which recently announced stablecoin payout capabilities through its partner BNVK.
Apple has also been discussing stablecoin integration for its payments infrastructure since early this year, including conversations with Circle’s senior director Matt Cavin, sources said.
Tech industry interest in stablecoin integration has intensified as the US pivots toward a more supportive crypto policy environment under President Trump. The GENIUS Act now stands out as a key legislative effort to define a regulatory path for stablecoins.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is reengaging with stablecoin development for international payments, driven by changing US regulations. According to an earlier report from Fortune, the firm is exploring a stablecoin solution to make creator compensation, especially on Instagram, more efficient.
Uber is researching the use of stablecoins as a potential payment method, as announced by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at the Bloomberg Tech Summit this week. Although Uber is still in its study phase, Khosrowshahi has previously expressed openness to accepting crypto assets if they prove beneficial.
Among tech giants considering stablecoin adoption, Google Cloud has moved into implementation, accepting PYUSD payments from two users.
“It’s pretty clear that this is probably one of the biggest upgrades to payments since the SWIFT network,” said Widmann.
Earlier this year, Google initiated plans to integrate ‘Sign in with Google’ into Bitcoin wallets, aiming to simplify user access and bridge web2 applications with blockchain technology.
“While crypto payments aren’t something we’re focused on integrating into the platform in the near future, we’re always looking at all aspects of payments for ways to improve our community’s experience with it, including developments in digital assets and their use cases,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.
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