Payment companies integrating digital assets: why SWAPS’ liquidity and cost-effective pricing matter

The changing payments landscape

Traditional cross-border payments involve multiple correspondent banks and layers of intermediaries. This complexity leaves businesses and payment service providers (PSPs) facing high remittance costs and slow settlement. According to Circle’s stablecoin payments research, the global average cost to send remittances remained above 6 % in 2025, far above the G20’s target of 1 %. Stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies,  offer a compelling alternative: they reduce costs by minimizing correspondent hops and automating FX and settlement and allow a remittance provider to move funds from the U.S. to Argentina in minutes rather than days. This approach removes multiple intermediaries, reduces FX mark-ups and enables fast, transparent reconciliation.

Major payments companies are taking notice. Visa’s 2026 outlook notes that stablecoins are transforming a formerly speculative asset class into “trusted global payment infrastructure,” particularly for emerging markets and cross-border remittances. It highlights that Visa already supports more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programs across 40 countries and that stablecoin-native clients can settle on the Visa network just like any other currency. PayPal’s Pay with Crypto program goes further: the company says crypto payments provide near-instant settlement and reduce transaction fees by up to 90 % compared with international credit-card processing. Its service supports conversion between over 100 cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and fiat currencies, enabling merchants to tap a global base of more than 650 million crypto users and charging a transaction rate of just 0.99 %. Stripe has likewise launched stablecoin subscription payments; early adopters have shifted about 20 % of their payment volume to stablecoins because they settle near-instantaneously and cost about half as much to process.

Why payment companies embrace digital assets

Payment firms adopt digital-asset rails for several practical reasons:

• Lower costs and faster settlement: Stablecoins combine the speed and transparency of blockchain with the stability of fiat currencies, enabling 24/7 settlement at low cost. Circle’s analysis notes that on-chain settlement eliminates multiple intermediaries and FX mark-ups, while PayPal reports savings of up to 90 % on cross-border fees and Stripe customers find stablecoin transactions cost about half as much as traditional card processing.
• Cross-border flexibility: Stablecoins streamline international transactions by reducing the complexity, cost and time associated with cross-border payments that rely on layers of intermediaries. Visa expects growth in stablecoin usage for B2B and B2C payouts and remittances, and Circle describes the emerging industry standard of the “stablecoin sandwich” (local currency → stablecoin → local currency) used for B2B supplier payments, remittances and PSP-to-PSP settlements.
• Programmable and transparent: Payments on public blockchains are recorded on a transparent ledger, reducing fraud and improving auditability. Smart contracts can automate recurring payments, as Stripe has done to allow customers to save their wallets and authorize recurring subscriptions without re-signing each transaction.
• Regulatory clarity: The U.S. GENIUS Act, EU’s MiCA and similar frameworks provide guardrails for “payment stablecoins,” requiring 100 % reserve backing, robust disclosures and consumer protections. Clear regulation makes it easier for banks, PSPs and global brands to integrate stablecoins. In the UAE, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) require crypto payments to be routed through licensed providers and converted to dirhams; wallet-to-wallet transfers are not recognised. This ensures that payments remain compliant with anti-money-laundering rules and that settlement occurs in local currency.

Where SWAPS fits in

Payment companies integrating digital assets need more than just payment rails – they require liquidity, risk management and cost-effective execution. SWAPS is designed to meet these needs:

• Deep multi-venue liquidity: By aggregating order books across major exchanges, OTC desks and institutional liquidity pools, SWAPS delivers tighter spreads and better fill rates. This helps payment firms convert customer funds (crypto ↔ fiat, stablecoin ↔ fiat) with minimal slippage, ensuring that merchants receive the expected amount even during volatile markets.
• Competitive, transparent pricing: Unlike traditional brokerage models that add hidden mark-ups, SWAPS operates an agency-only model with transparent fees. Our smart-order routing automatically sources the best available price across venues, and we pass market rebates back to clients. For payment service providers, this means lower execution costs that can be passed through to merchants and consumers.
• 24/7 execution and treasury services: Digital-asset markets never close. SWAPS provides round-the-clock trading and settlement, allowing PSPs to convert incoming crypto payments into fiat or stablecoins at any time and to manage treasury balances efficiently. This complements stablecoin payment flows by ensuring liquidity is always available when a customer pays or a merchant cashes out.
• Regulatory alignment: SWAPS operates under UAE regulatory frameworks (SCA and VARA) and adheres to strict anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer requirements. All crypto-to-fiat conversions are executed through licensed channels, making it easy for payment companies to remain compliant in Dubai and other jurisdictions.
• Technology integration: SWAPS offers APIs and trading interfaces that can be embedded into PSP platforms, enabling automated conversions, risk-managed hedging and real-time pricing. Payment processors can plug into SWAPS’ liquidity stack to settle stablecoin transactions against fiat or other digital assets without building their own trading infrastructure.

Conclusion

Stablecoins and other digital assets are reshaping the payments industry. Visa sees them becoming a mainstream part of the global payment infrastructure, and payment providers like Stripe and PayPal have already demonstrated tangible cost and speed benefits for merchants and consumers. Beyond cheaper remittances and faster cross-border settlement, stablecoins enable programmable, transparent, 24/7 payments that align with emerging regulatory frameworks.

For payment companies, however, integrating digital assets requires robust liquidity, tight spreads, and compliance. SWAPS provides these essentials. By offering deep liquidity, transparent agency pricing, and 24/7 regulated execution, SWAPS empowers payment processors and financial institutions to incorporate stablecoins and cryptocurrencies into their payment flows confidently, delivering cost-effective, compliant and seamless experiences for merchants and end-users.