Meta Renewed Crypto Ambitions: Stablecoins on Social Platforms

In recent months, stablecoins have become increasingly popular. With heavyweights like Tether (USDT) and Circle’s USDC dominating global crypto flows, the sector has become increasingly attractive, not just to crypto-native firms but also to tech giants with a global reach.

This momentum was further reinforced by growing regulatory clarity in the space, most notably by the United States Senate’s introduction of the GENIUS Act for stablecoins, which passed a procedural vote on May 19, 2025, with 66 votes in favor.

The shifting regulation, coupled with stablecoins’ role in facilitating low-cost, borderless transactions and the US government’s more welcoming stance on the cryptocurrency industry since Donald Trump’s presidency began in November last year, could also encourage old players to re-enter the market.

One such player is Meta. According to a Fortune exclusive, the social media company might be looking to reignite its stablecoin ambitions. What does this mean for the future of finance, and how far can stablecoins go on social platforms?

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Meta & Stabelcoins: A Tale as Old as Time
3. Why Are Big Players Entering the Stablecoin Market?
4. Stablecoins & Social Platforms: Is this the Future of Payments?
5. The Bottom Line
6. FAQs
7. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Meta & Stabelcoins: A Tale as Old as Time
3. Why Are Big Players Entering the Stablecoin Market?
Show Full Guide
4. Stablecoins & Social Platforms: Is this the Future of Payments?
5. The Bottom Line
6. FAQs
7. References

Meta & Stabelcoins: A Tale as Old as Time

In 2019, Meta, then known as Facebook, tapped into the cryptocurrency market with ambitions to launch Libra, a token backed by “a collection of low-volatility assets like bank deposits and government securities, in currencies from stable and reputable central banks” – a stablecoin.

In 2020, Libra was rebranded to Diem, but two years later, it never managed to launch.

Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO of Borderless.xyz, a global payments infrastructure company that enables transactions using stablecoins, told Techopedia:

“The stablecoin landscape has evolved significantly since Facebook/Meta tried to launch Libra/Diem with players like Circle filling for their IPO, major companies like Stripe and Visa announcing stablecoin products, and payments volumes using stablecoins climbing quickly month over month.”

Back when Meta was trying to launch Diem, their primary hurdle was regulatory resistance.

Governments and central banks, particularly in the US and Europe, were quick to sound an alarm over financial stability, monetary sovereignty, and data privacy.

However, in a 2024 X post, David Marcus, Libra’s former head, noted that the stablecoin’s collapse was “100% a political kill” executed at the expense of banking institutions and under false pretences of regulatory uncertainty.

How Libra Was Killed.

I never shared this publicly before, but since @pmarca opened the floodgates on @joerogan’s pod, it feels appropriate to shed more light on this.

As a reminder, Libra (then Diem) was an advanced, high-performance, payments-centric blockchain paired with a…

— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) November 30, 2024

Three years later, it seems like Meta is preparing to re-enter the stablecoin industry, this time amid a clearer regulatory environment and a notably more crypto-friendly US administration.

Todd Ruoff, the CEO of Autonomys, told Techopedia:

“The fact that Meta, who was once burned by regulatory backlash over the Libra/Diem fiasco, is again openly discussing stablecoin integration suggests that large tech firms now perceive the climate as much more navigable.

“This move reflects a broader trend, as global regulators are advancing stablecoin-specific frameworks, and major financial and tech players are increasingly confident that compliant, mainstream adoption is within reach.”

Why Are Big Players Entering the Stablecoin Market?

According to the Visa Onchain Analytics Dashboard, the total transaction volume of stablecoins surpassed $33.5 trillion in the past 12 months. Stablecoin supply surged from 162.14 billion in 2024 to 213.55 billion in 2025, a 31.7% growth just halfway into the year.

A Dune and Artemis report highlighted that the number of active stablecoin wallet addresses grew by more than 50% between February 2024 and February 2025, from 19.6 million to 30 million.

The industry’s explosive growth was also noticed by a number of key traditional finance (TradFi) players.

With stablecoins’ ability to seamlessly close the gap between fiat and digital assets, it is no surprise that major TradFi players are entering the industry.

Autonomous’s Ruoff said:

“By embedding stablecoin infrastructure now, [TradFi companies] not only capture early market share but also ensure they’re foundational players as future adoption begins to scale. The recent surge in stablecoin transaction volumes and the integration of stablecoins into mainstream payment products reflect a belief that the next wave of financial innovation will be built on these rails.”

Grigore Roșu, founder and CEO of Pi Squared, a verifiable payment system and settlement layer for AI and crypto, added that firms such as Circle and Stripe are positioning themselves as infrastructure providers for internet-native finance while also expanding their reach across chains and platforms.

Stablecoins & Social Platforms: Is this the Future of Payments?

Meta, however, is not the first social media company to tap into stablecoins.

In April 2024, the prominent messaging app, Telegram, announced that it had partnered with Tether to bring USDT payments to its built-in Wallet bot, enabling users to send and receive the stablecoin instantly and with zero fees directly within the app.

Social platforms like Meta and Telegram already host large-scale peer-to-peer communication and commerce; hence, stablecoin integration could seem like the logical next step to enhance user experience and streamline value transfer within their ecosystems.

Roșu told Techopedia:

“It also enables programmable payments, microtransactions, and new monetization models without relying on traditional banking rails or centralized payment processors, which are often fragmented.”

For creators and influencers, this could mean instant, global payouts without the delays and fees associated with traditional platforms or wire platforms.

Autonomys’ Ruoff explained further:

“Stablecoins offer fast, low-cost, borderless, and friction-free transactions, solving many of the pain points inherent in legacy payment systems. This could lead to more reliable and immediate compensation for creators, with deeper user engagement and a competitive edge for incumbent social platforms to dominate the digital economy.”

Borderless.xyz’s Lehtiniitty added that for social platforms, stablecoins become “a native solution for global money movement inside already global platforms.”

The Bottom Line

Stablecoins are no longer just a crypto-native tool, but the financial rails for internet-scale platforms.

With Meta allegedly reviving its stablecoin plans and Telegram already facilitating frictionless transfers of USDT, social platforms are positioning themselves at the forefront of the next evolution of digital payments.

Good news for users, as it translates into faster, cheaper, and more convenient transactions. For creators, it could offer new streams of money that are instant, worldwide, and free from traditional bank constraints.

Once regulation catches up and stablecoin infrastructure develops, we will likely see even further social media integration with programmable money.

FAQs