What CFOs Need to Know About Stablecoin Payments in 2025

Crypto has gotten the same reaction from finance teams for years: charming in concept, terrifying in execution, probably best left to people who think risk management is just a suggestion. But here's what most people missed while they were busy explaining why digital assets could never work in enterprise finance: they already do.

Stablecoins - those boring, dollar-pegged digital tokens that Bloomberg barely mentions - are already processing more daily volume than most traditional payment networks. Companies are already using them to slash international payment costs from 4% to pennies, settle transactions in minutes instead of days, and automate financial processes that used to require armies of back-office staff.

If you're a finance leader, it's time to start evaluating solutions that can streamline stablecoin adoption and ensure compliance before you're forced to explain to stakeholders why you're still paying 4% international wire fees.

Stablecoins are a fundamental shift in how money moves

Let's start with a mental model that'll make this whole thing click. For decades, we've thought about traditional financial rails as, well, rails. They’re fixed, somewhat rigid, and designed for a different era. You put your train on them, and it goes in a straight line, slowly, stopping at pre-defined stations. But the digital asset world isn't about rails; it's about "airways."

As the Head of Stablecoins at Anchorage Digital, Sergio Mello, put it at ETH Denver Payments Day 2025, "We need to start thinking of airways when it comes to digital asset payments... rails are by definition two bars of metal that will keep you going straight, whereas the beauty now is that the same network can be accessed by an infinite amount of participants."

As such, stablecoins are more like airways. Infinite participants can access the same network simultaneously. No prescribed paths, no waiting for the 3 PM settlement window, no wondering if your international wire will take three days or three weeks.

It’s a network where value can flow freely, instantly, globally, without the gravitational pull of antiquated infrastructure.

Faster, cheaper, and with programmable features

Here's where stablecoins really shine: international payments. Today, if you want to send money from the US to a vendor in another country, you might pay 4% in fees and wait days for settlement. With stablecoins, you can send the same value in minutes for a fraction of the cost, often pennies.

But speed and cost savings are just the appetizer. Where things get really interesting is programmability—the ability to embed business logic directly into payments. Remember those invoice terms that nobody ever enforces? Net 30, 2% penalty for late payment, 1% discount for early payment? In the traditional world, enforcing these terms means awkward conversations with accounts payable departments and strongly-worded emails that everyone ignores.

“You put all that into smart contracts and it's not me as the accountant being a dick making you pay this penalty and sending you a nasty gram,” says Pat White, Bitwave’s CEO. "We internally around the payments product call it Dynamic Terms. I see a world where contracts begin to be more enforced than they previously were." Suddenly, payment terms aren't suggestions—they're code.

‍

All this also enables entirely new business models. Subscription services can become true pay-as-you-go models when transaction costs drop to pennies. Content creators can receive real-time micropayments instead of waiting for monthly checks. Digital assets can automatically distribute royalties to multiple contributors every time they're used, creating near real-time remuneration.

Earn yield on your payment float

With stablecoins your treasury cash can earn meaningful returns while maintaining the stability and liquidity you need for operations.

Here's how it works: stablecoin issuers back their tokens with reserves—typically a mix of cash, Treasury bills, and other short-term government securities. As these reserves earn interest, some issuers are beginning to pass those returns directly to token holders. Instead of the issuer keeping all the float income (the traditional model), you get a share of the yield generated by the underlying assets.

When you need to make payments, you still get the speed and cost benefits of stablecoins. When you're holding cash for operations, it's actually working for you—earning returns on the same government securities that back the token's value.

The regulatory questions around yield-bearing stablecoins are still being sorted out, but the economics are compelling. Companies are turning their treasury function into a profit center rather than just a cost center.

Now, before you get too excited, let's talk compliance

Here's the thing that catches everyone off-guard: stablecoins aren't money in the eyes of the law. They're property. This might seem like a technicality, but it changes everything. When you pay someone with stablecoins, you're not just moving money; you're executing a barter transaction. Different accounting rules, different tax implications, different reporting requirements.

The regulatory landscape is still evolving, but there are already real compliance requirements to consider. The "6050I" law mandates reporting crypto receipts over $10,000, similar to cash transactions. Most governments don't accept stablecoins for tax payments yet, creating this weird workflow where you have to convert to fiat to pay your taxes on... crypto transactions.

And if you're thinking about paying employees in stablecoins? That's a whole other adventure involving HR departments, state regulations, and payroll systems that weren't designed for property-based compensation. It's doable, but it's not as simple as flipping a switch.

This is where having the right infrastructure becomes critical. Rob Massey, tax leader of Deloitte's Blockchain and Digital Assets practice, calls for businesses to have robust subledgers to track the nuances of digital asset transactions—capturing data elements specific to property, not just fiat.

The good news is that purpose-built solutions exist to handle this complexity. Platforms like Bitwave offer instant compliance with US GAAP, IFRS, and other global reporting standards, with integrations across 70+ blockchains and exchanges. They provide the lot-by-lot tracking and audit-ready controls that make compliance manageable rather than overwhelming.

The compliance challenge is real, but it's solvable with the right tools and partners.

Ready to explore how your organization can join the early movers?

For generations, moving money meant accepting someone else's timeline, someone else's fees, and someone else's rules. The banks owned the rails, set the schedules, and collected rent at every stop.

But airways don't have owners. They have participants.

What we're witnessing is the emergence of a parallel financial system where programmable money flows instantly across borders, earns yield in real-time, and executes contracts automatically. It's not replacing traditional finance—it's making it obsolete for an entire class of transactions.

While others debate whether this technology is "real," the early movers are already operating with tools that make traditional banking look like sending letters by horseback.

The choice isn't whether to adopt stablecoins eventually—it's whether to lead or follow. Because the airways are open, and the first flights have already taken off.

If you're a finance leader thinking about how your organization can tap into enterprise stablecoin payments, it's time to evaluate Bitwave.

‍Request a demo to see how the right infrastructure can turn compliance from a barrier into a competitive advantage.

‍