What happened?
Stripe launched stablecoin subscriptions so businesses can accept recurring USDC payments across major blockchains in a private preview for U.S. companies. They built a smart contract that lets customers save a wallet and authorize recurring payments without re‑signing each transaction, supporting 400+ wallets. The integration works with Stripe Checkout, Elements, Payment Intents and Payment Links, supports one‑off payments, and currently caps transactions at $10,000 per payment and $100,000 per month.
Who does this affect?
This affects subscription businesses—especially AI companies, SaaS tools, and creators—that can now offer USDC as a payment option to customers. It also affects consumers who use crypto wallets like MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Phantom, and Trust Wallet, letting them pay and authorize recurring charges without manual signing. Finally, it impacts payment processors, banks, and global customers who rely on faster, cheaper cross‑border payments and could shift volume away from traditional rails.
Why does this matter?
Stablecoin subscriptions can cut cross‑border costs and settlement times, making it cheaper and faster for companies to collect international revenue and scale globally. Wider adoption could push more business payment volume into stablecoins—Stripe notes many AI firms already take a sizable share in crypto—and force banks to offer more competitive deposit yields. It also pressures payment infrastructure to scale (e.g., Stripe’s Tempo) and could change how companies manage subscription billing, treasury, and pricing internationally.