Key Takeaways:
(P1) Global payments firm Nium has integrated with Coinbase to enable USDC stablecoin payments and fiat conversions across its network, bringing near-instant settlement to more than 190 countries. The partnership, announced April 21, allows businesses to fund cross-border transfers with USDC, eliminating the need for pre-funded accounts in multiple currencies.
(P2) "The future of money movement is multi-rail. Fiat and onchain infrastructure will increasingly work together, not in isolation," said Prajit Nanu, CEO and Founder of Nium. "This partnership with Coinbase makes that future operational today – giving our clients a single platform to send, receive and spend stablecoins at scale."
(P3) Under the live integration, Coinbase serves as the core infrastructure provider, handling stablecoin payments, liquidity, wallet services, and regulated custody. Nium clients can now fund accounts with USDC, with recipients receiving funds in local fiat currency through Nium’s existing payout channels. The system also allows businesses holding stablecoin balances to launch USDC-backed card programs for spending at merchants globally.
(P4) The move signifies a deeper push of stablecoins into mainstream business-to-business payments, directly challenging the traditional correspondent banking system. By using USDC for just-in-time settlement, companies can free up working capital that would otherwise sit idle in foreign accounts, reducing treasury costs and operational friction associated with wire transfers that can take several days to clear.
Traditional international payments have long required businesses to pre-fund accounts in destination countries to ensure timely payouts, a capital-intensive process. Stablecoins, which settle on-chain in minutes, 24/7, remove this requirement.
"Stablecoins are transforming how money moves globally, and Coinbase is committed to enabling their use at an institutional scale," said Alec Lovett, Head of Infrastructure Products at Coinbase. "By partnering with companies like Nium, we are extending stablecoin utility into real-world payment flows."
The integration allows Nium customers to deposit USDC on supported networks like Base, Ethereum, or Solana, with Coinbase’s enterprise APIs managing the settlement in the background.
The partnership comes as stablecoin settlement volumes are surging, indicating growing institutional comfort with the technology. Global stablecoin settlement volumes tripled to $584.5 million in March, a 211% increase from the prior year, according to data from SquareFi. While Tether (USDT) still leads in overall volume, Circle's USDC, with a market capitalization of approximately $78 billion, is a key asset in regulated payment applications.
The move by Nium and Coinbase reflects a broader industry trend. Payments giants Visa and Stripe are also building out stablecoin capabilities. Visa has expanded its settlement platform to include USDC, while Stripe has been acquiring and building its own stablecoin infrastructure to support platforms like DoorDash for faster payouts. This growing competition aims to capture a piece of the massive cross-border payments market by offering faster and cheaper settlement rails.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
