Two of America’s largest retail giants, Amazon and Walmart, are reportedly exploring the launch of their own dollar-pegged stablecoins in a move that could dramatically reshape digital payments across the retail sector.
According to a June 13 report by The Wall Street Journal, both companies are investigating how blockchain-based stablecoins could streamline their internal payment systems, cut processing fees, and reduce dependence on legacy banking infrastructure. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the initiative is still in its exploratory phase, but the implications are already attracting attention across both fintech and retail sectors.
Why Stablecoins, and Why Now?
By issuing proprietary stablecoins, Amazon and Walmart could shift billions in daily transaction volume onto blockchain rails potentially increasing payment efficiency, lowering settlement times, and bypassing costly intermediaries. The appeal of stablecoins lies in their price stability, fast transfer speeds, and minimal transaction fees, making them a compelling alternative to credit card networks or bank-driven systems.
As crypto-native stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) gain traction USDT alone has surpassed $155 billion in circulation it’s becoming clear that stablecoins can serve real-world purposes beyond speculation.
Others Join the Stablecoin Race
Amazon and Walmart aren’t alone in eyeing the stablecoin path. Other major U.S. corporations, including Expedia Group Inc. and domestic airlines, are reportedly considering similar moves. Their interest highlights a broader corporate push toward blockchain-enabled financial solutions, particularly for high-volume, multi-party payment environments.
In a related trend, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi confirmed earlier this month that the company is in the “study phase” of stablecoin evaluation for international transactions. Meanwhile, Shopify is set to begin allowing merchants to accept USDC later this month, in collaboration with Coinbase and Stripe, signaling a growing embrace of digital assets within commerce platforms.
Why Not Bitcoin?
Despite this growing interest in digital currencies, Amazon has notably decided not to adopt Bitcoin for its corporate treasury, a position it shares with other tech leaders like Microsoft and Meta. While Bitcoin remains a dominant store of value in the crypto world, it is far too volatile to serve the payment stability needs of enterprise retail systems making stablecoins a more pragmatic solution.
The Bigger Picture: Over $239B in Circulating Stablecoins
As of now, the total stablecoin supply stands at over $239 billion, distributed across 150 million wallet addresses globally. This rapid expansion illustrates a clear and growing demand for low-volatility, blockchain-based payment tools especially among businesses seeking efficiency and scalability.
Should Amazon and Walmart proceed with their stablecoin plans, the result could be a retail payments revolution, setting a new standard for how large enterprises interact with digital currencies and blockchain technology.
The rise of stablecoins is no longer a crypto-native phenomenon—it’s a business reality. With giants like Amazon, Walmart, Uber, and Shopify testing or deploying blockchain-powered payment systems, the future of retail finance may be faster, cheaper, and far more decentralized than anyone expected.
