Home / Business and Economy / 2026: Stablecoins to Reshape Global Banking Rails
2026: Stablecoins to Reshape Global Banking Rails
20 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Stablecoins will evolve from trading tools to core financial infrastructure by 2026.
- Regional banks may bypass traditional correspondent banking for cheaper, faster remittances.
- Connectivity and transaction routing will become key revenue-generating areas.
Stablecoins are poised to transition from their current role as crypto trading workhorses to becoming fundamental financial infrastructure by 2026. This evolution, driven by their potential for transaction routing and settlement, is expected to reshape revenue generation for banks and fintech firms. Regional banks, in particular, are anticipated to shift away from traditional correspondent banking by 2026, utilizing stablecoins to offer remittances that are 90% cheaper and settle in seconds.
The primary disruption lies not just in cost and speed, but in the 24/7 availability of stablecoin rails, providing liquidity outside traditional banking hours. This could enable initiatives like shared tokenized deposits for weekend settlement. As institutions adopt stablecoins for real-world flows, the ecosystem's complexity will grow, creating new coordination challenges and value-capture opportunities.
The strategic focus for 2026 is expected to shift towards orchestration – managing transaction routing, coordination, and settlement across hybrid financial systems. This connectivity layer, enabled by stablecoins, represents the next frontier for sustainable revenue in the digital asset industry, moving beyond initial trading applications.
