Ripple President Monica Long has identified three key stablecoin trends that she believes are driving a major transformation in global finance. According to Long, these developments are accelerating blockchain adoption, deepening institutional participation, and redefining how money moves across international payment systems.

Stablecoins at the Center of Financial Evolution

Long highlighted that stablecoins have become a central topic in both traditional and decentralized finance discussions. “Stablecoin payments are all over banks’ and payment companies’ earnings calls — and crypto Twitter,” she noted.

Her comments come amid a wave of stablecoin-related initiatives from banks, fintechs, and blockchain firms worldwide. Long emphasized that this growing convergence between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) is paving the way for blockchain-based payment solutions to move into the mainstream.

“Payments is finally getting the full embrace from both TradFi and DeFi as a killer use case for blockchain,” she wrote, describing how tokenized money is reshaping the future of cross-border transactions and institutional settlements.

1. The “Stablecoin Flurry” — Too Many Tokens, Not Enough Purpose

Long’s first trend, which she calls the “stablecoin flurry,” refers to the explosion of new U.S. dollar–pegged stablecoins entering the market. From financial institutions to startups, dozens of entities have been issuing tokens tied to fiat currencies.

While innovation is welcome, Long questioned whether the market truly needs so many stablecoins. “It’s reminiscent of the NFT boom of 2020–21,” she said, suggesting that many new projects are driven by hype rather than solving real problems.

However, she acknowledged that some stablecoins do serve meaningful purposes — particularly those used for interbank settlements, remittances, and customer loyalty programs. In such cases, these digital assets help streamline payment efficiency, reduce transfer costs, and expand access to faster financial services.

2. Rise of “Stablecoin Payment Network Popups”

The second trend Long identified is the emergence of “stablecoin payment network popups,” where major brands or service providers are launching closed-loop payment ecosystems powered by their own stablecoins.

While these private networks promise faster and cheaper transactions, Long warned that they often face the same structural issues as the traditional banking system — particularly if the issuer lacks regulatory licensing or adequate compliance frameworks.

“If a provider lacks licensing, it may just replicate correspondent banking issues — but on a blockchain,” she cautioned.

Ripple itself is addressing these challenges with Ripple USD (RLUSD), a stablecoin designed to serve real-world utility in payments and settlements. RLUSD aims to provide the transparency, liquidity, and compliance necessary for institutional-grade financial transactions.

3. The Push for Proprietary Blockchains

The third major stablecoin trend involves companies developing proprietary blockchains to support their own digital payment systems. Long pointed out that building a new blockchain from scratch requires substantial investment, years of development, and community support to achieve true decentralization and liquidity.

She argued that existing public Layer-1 and Layer-2 networks — such as the XRP Ledger (XRPL) — already provide the necessary infrastructure for scalable, secure, and efficient payments.

“There are public L1/L2 chains that serve payments well (like… XRPL!),” Long wrote, emphasizing that new chains will face an uphill battle unless they can attract liquidity and build trust within the financial ecosystem.

According to her, “For new chains to succeed, they’ll require major capital investment and years of heavy lifting to achieve decentralization, build sufficient liquidity, and develop infrastructure that truly works for payments.”

Stablecoins Driving the Future of Digital Payments

Long’s insights come at a time when stablecoins are increasingly viewed as the bridge between crypto innovation and traditional finance. With global payment firms like PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard exploring blockchain integration, and central banks experimenting with digital currencies, the stablecoin sector is becoming one of the most competitive and transformative areas in fintech.

Ripple, through its payment network and upcoming RLUSD stablecoin, is positioning itself at the forefront of this movement — combining blockchain speed and transparency with institutional-grade trust and compliance.

As Long summarized, the intersection of stablecoins, public networks, and real-world payments is no longer a distant concept — it’s a reality that’s already reshaping how money moves across borders and redefining the structure of global finance.