Stablecoins are sparking a revolution in cross-border payments, a16z partner: This is the WhatsApp moment of the financial world.

Even though the internet has allowed information to flow without boundaries, the circulation of money is still hindered by high costs and cumbersome procedures. However, the rise of stablecoins is gradually rewriting the global payment landscape, making the flow of funds as instantaneous, borderless, and intermediary-free as WhatsApp has changed communication. This technology-driven financial transformation is no longer a thing of the future; it is a reality that is happening now.

Has the financial system "gone astray"? Dixon: The spirit of the internet is being obstructed by intermediaries.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) general partner Chris Dixon recently tweeted that early internet protocols ( such as email and WWW) promised to establish an open, decentralized world where anyone could freely create and trade. However, the current financial system is contrary to this vision:

It consists of a series of intermediaries, from payment processors, issuing banks, clearing systems to foreign exchange institutions, each layer charges fees, creates friction, and restricts innovation, making global payments expensive and slow.

As he mentioned in his work "Read Write One", he described these intermediaries as "friction-filled pipelines", which even impose substantial "regressive taxes (regressive taxes)" on impoverished groups.

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The Disruptive Opportunity of Stablecoins: Realigning Financial Direction

Dixon therefore believes that stablecoins are an opportunity for the reboot of financial infrastructure. As a cryptocurrency pegged to fiat currency, it can circulate globally on the blockchain almost for free and in real-time, bypassing the cumbersome traditional procedures of SWIFT and clearinghouses.

Traditional cross-border enterprise payments often take several days, cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, and require multiple intermediaries; however, using stablecoins can save up to 90% in costs and complete transactions instantly.

He also cited SpaceX and ScaleAI as examples, indicating that more and more companies are practically adopting stablecoins for capital management and payroll.

SpaceX uses stablecoins to manage company funds, avoiding the risks of high volatility currencies such as those in Argentina and Nigeria; while ScaleAI uses them to pay global workers' salaries. Additionally, Stripe has become the first major platform to support stablecoin payments, with a transaction fee of only 1.5%, far lower than the traditional card payment fee of 3%.

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The "WhatsApp moment" of stablecoins has arrived.

Similar to how WhatsApp breaks the high costs and delays of international messaging, stablecoins enable remittances to be instantaneous and low-cost. Dixon emphasizes that this is not just a cost issue, but a comprehensive upgrade of infrastructure:

Stablecoins will bring a payment revolution akin to how WhatsApp transformed communication, with blockchain and stablecoins being like "room temperature superconductors," enabling their value to be transmitted globally without friction, much like energy flows without loss.

This type of "internet-native" payment model is not only fast, combinable, and easy to scale but has also gradually reduced costs, paving the way for cross-border commerce.

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Regulatory attitude becomes key: from obstacle to support

Even though the innovative potential of blockchain and cryptocurrencies is enormous, it has long been constrained by unclear regulations. Dixon pointed out that policymakers are currently actively formulating stablecoin legislation, market structure regulations, and token classifications, which will help push this technology from "self-entertainment within the crypto circle" to mainstream applications:

In the future, if the regulatory standards for various types of crypto assets can be clearly distinguished, it will pave the way for global stablecoin payments and give innovators the confidence to invest in infrastructure development.

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Stablecoin: Building an Open Highway for Inclusive Finance

Dixon views blockchain as the financial version of a "road system", neutral and open, allowing any business to freely build applications on it. Stablecoins and blockchain are creating unprecedented fintech scenarios, including:

Machine-to-machine intelligent payment and contract fulfillment

Micropayments for media, music, and AI content

Fully transparent audit records of government financial payments

Near-zero cost instant settlement for cross-border business payments.

He emphasized: "These are not fantasies, but realities that are already happening."

In the future, there will be no need to patch up old systems; we can rebuild a truly internet-native global financial system.

This article Stablecoins Ignite a Cross-Border Payment Revolution, a16z Partner: This is the WhatsApp Moment of the Financial World first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.