Ripple President Monica Long Says Stablecoins Will Move From Pilot To Production By 2026

Stablecoins are poised to become a fundamental part of global finance over the next two years, according to Ripple President Monica Long, who says the asset class is moving from experimental pilot projects to large-scale production for traditional payments.

In a commentary outlining his expectations through 2026, Long says stablecoins are no longer a niche innovation in crypto, but are poised to become the default infrastructure for cross-border payments, integrated directly into existing financial rails used by banks, merchants and businesses around the world.

Stablecoins integrated into global payment rails

Long points to recent developments from traditional payments giants as proof that stablecoins are “hardwired” into existing systems.

Visa and Stripe launch USDC settlement for merchants, she says, marks a turning point where blockchain-based rails are adopted into existing enterprise payment flows rather than operating in parallel.

“By 2026, stablecoins will integrate with legacy financial rails and, over the next five years, be fully integrated into global payment systems,” Long said, adding that cross-border payments will likely be the first area where stablecoins emerge as the default settlement mechanism.

B2B payments are driving the next wave of adoption

While the initial growth of stablecoins was dominated by retail and remittances, Long said she expects business-to-business payments to lead the next phase of adoption.

B2B payments already account for the majority of stablecoin flows, a trend it expects will accelerate as businesses seek efficiencies.

Beyond faster settlement, Long highlighted the impact on corporate balance sheets, particularly in Europe, where she estimates €1.3 trillion remains stuck in working capital between debts, receivables and inventories.

Stablecoins, she said, have the potential to unlock this capital by enabling real-time settlement and better cash flow management.

Crypto moves from speculative to structural

Long also points to a structural shift underway in the crypto industry. She expects crypto to move from an alternative asset class to the operational layer of modern finance, with institutional balance sheets holding over $1 trillion in tokenized and digital assets by the end of 2026.

Regulatory clarity is a key factor in this transition. Long cites frameworks such as the European Markets in Crypto-Asset (MiCA) Regulation as laying the legal foundation for a compliant stablecoin market.

By 2027, it expects banks and financial institutions in regulated regions to issue and hold their own regulated stablecoins.

Custody and mergers and acquisitions to accelerate

As institutional interest increases, Long predicts increased consolidation of crypto infrastructure, particularly in custodial services.

The commodification of custody, she explains, is likely to generate a new wave of mergers and acquisitions as traditional banks, service providers and crypto companies seek to accelerate their blockchain strategies.

It expects more than half of the world’s 50 largest banks to formalize at least one new digital asset custody relationship in 2026.

Looking ahead, Long believes crypto M&A will increasingly expand beyond the industry itself as companies seek convenience and scale.

“To acquire the next billion users, especially institutions, crypto must become radically easier to use and break out of the echo chamber,” she said.

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