Borderles.xyz just hosted a half-day, invite-only event for payments leaders and stablecoin experts to discuss real-world use cases and stablecoin strategies. The day kicked off with a VC panel featuring Sam Broner (Partner, a16z crypto), Adams Conrad (Principal, QED Investors), and John Onwualu (Principal, Flourish Ventures) moderated by CJ Reim of Amity Ventures.

Here are the five main takeaways:

1. “Sub-second, sub-cent” transfers have crossed the commercial tipping-point

Until recently, the crypto-native promise of instant, near-free settlement felt like a nice demo but volume merchants still had to batch transactions, reconcile wallets, and swallow on-chain fees that spiked with network congestion.

Sam Broner noted that on today’s most liquid blockchains, a U.S-dollar stablecoin can now settle in under a second for well under a cent - reliably. Crossing that threshold flips stablecoins from “interesting” to industrial-grade payment rail.

Why it matters

• PSPs can quote tighter FX and payout spreads, because every fraction of a cent saved on the transport layer flows straight into margin.

• High-frequency commerce (micro-payouts, creator royalties, machine-to-machine transactions) finally makes economic sense.

• Settlement-speed parity with data transfer allows real-time treasury, dynamic pricing, and embedded financing without hanging users on a payment spinner.

2. The emerging architecture is a “stablecoin sandwich”

“Pure crypto rails won’t win alone, and neither will pure bank rails. The winners orchestrate both.” – John Onwualu

In practice, cross-border flows are turning into hybrid routings:

• On-chain legs move value cheaply between liquidity hubs.

• Fiat legs (local RTP, ACH, faster-payment schemes) handle last-mile payouts or pull funds from users’ bank accounts.

The connective tissue is a directory of licensed counterparties (stablecoin issuers, off-ramp PSPs, liquidity desks) plus smart routing that chooses the optimal mix in real time.

Why it matters

• Providers that master both sides capture more take-rate while shielding merchants from rail-hunting complexity.

• “Bring-your-own-liquidity” models lower prefunding needs, freeing balance-sheet capacity for lending or yield.

• The moat shifts away from pure tech toward network depth: licenses, banking relationships, and compliance muscle.

3. Global acceptance is exploding thanks to card rails & permissionless ramps

Visa and Mastercard have moved from pilot press releases to live issuance of cards that debit stablecoin balances in 150-plus markets. Local on-/off-ramp startups, sometimes just a kiosk or mobile-money agent, are popping up in parallel.

Why it matters

• Merchants no longer need new acquiring contracts for every geography; they piggy-back on the global card networks.

• Remittance corridors can abandon the costly “corridor prefunding” model; funds arrive and settle on demand.

• Wallet providers can promise utility (“spend it anywhere tomorrow”) rather than just speculative upside.

4. Regulatory clarity is catching up and the U.S. has skin in the game

Ninety-plus percent of circulating stablecoins track the U.S. dollar. Legislators and regulators, from the EU’s MiCA framework to several U.S. House and Senate bills, are converging on registration-plus-reserve regimes that look a lot like traditional e-money licenses.

Why it matters

• Blue-chip enterprises (marketplaces, payroll platforms) need certainty before touching new rails; a clear license path unlocks pent-up demand.

• U.S. policymakers have geopolitical incentive to keep dollar-denominated stablecoins thriving rather than push them offshore.

• Once “regulated stablecoin” becomes a legally defined asset class, banks and major PSPs can custody and distribute it at scale, turbo-charging liquidity.

5. Compliance & bank relationships remain the unsexy but unbeatable moat

Adams Conrad emphasised that his first diligence dive isn’t latency, throughput, or clever ZK rollups…it’s “show me your chief compliance officer, your audit trail, and your bank-sponsor stack.”

Why it matters

• Enterprise buyers trust vendors that can pass bank-grade AML/CFT checks; startups that invest early in compliance cut months off sales cycles.

• Local licenses unlock local payment systems; without them you’re an overlay service with no direct settlement authority.

• As regulators tighten the screws, robust governance will filter serious networks from weekend-hack projects, protecting valuations on exit.

Bringing it all together

When you stack these insights, a clear picture emerges: stablecoins are graduating from crypto curiosity to mainstream payment plumbing.

• Economic viability – the rail is cheap and fast enough for mission-critical commerce.

• Architectural inevitability – hybrid networks win, integrating the best of fiat and on-chain worlds.

• Distribution wave – card schemes and open ramps blow the doors off geographic adoption.

• Policy tailwinds – clarity invites the next tranche of institutional volume.

• Execution moat – licenses, risk ops, and bank relationships decide who scales.

For PSPs, fintech product teams, and corporate treasurers, the takeaway is simple: **start testing stablecoin legs now** because the competitive advantage will soon shift from “first to market” to “deepest liquidity and most compliant routes.”

Ready to explore your stablecoin strategy?

Find out how Borderless.xyz can act as the hub of your stablecoin stack by leveraging the Borderless Network of regulated financial institutions for liquidity & fiat rails as well as prebuilt integrations into leading wallet providers, compliance companies, and operations/reconciliation platforms by scheduling a meeting.

Want the full discussion?

Watch the 30-minute panel here: