Meta's move to pay creators in USDC across Colombia and the Philippines, expanding to 160-plus countries this year, proves stablecoins can work as a mainstream payout rail but exposes what comes after settlement, payments writer Tim Joslyn argues. Creators must connect external wallets, pick a supported chain, and manage their own custody, then convert USDC to local currency through exchanges, compliance checks, and bank withdrawals, each step adding fees and friction Meta doesn't touch.
He contrasts that with card networks embedding stablecoins invisibly, pointing to Mastercard's $1.8B BVNK deal and Visa's Bridge-linked cards that spend digital dollars at any Visa merchant with conversion handled in the background. With stablecoin volume hitting $33T in 2025, up 72%, he argues the next phase hinges on making the off-ramp invisible, defined in pesos and card balances rather than wallets and networks.
