Meta Platforms Inc. is preparing to roll out stablecoin payouts for creators in the second half of 2026.
This time, the company isn’t trying to launch its own digital currency. Instead, it plans to plug into existing stablecoin systems through a third-party provider.
The goal is clear: make small cross-border payments — especially around $100 — faster and cheaper for creators using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Stripe’s Bridge likely to power it
According to reports, Stripe is the leading candidate to handle the infrastructure.
Stripe acquired its stablecoin platform Bridge for about $1.1 billion in October 2024. In February 2026, Bridge received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter. That approval allows it to issue and custody stablecoins under U.S. regulatory oversight.
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison joined Meta’s board in April 2025, strengthening the connection between the two companies.
A very different strategy from Libra
This move marks a major shift from Meta’s failed 2019 crypto project, Libra, later renamed Diem.
Back then, Meta tried to create its own global digital currency. Regulators strongly opposed the idea, seeing it as a private company trying to build something close to its own monetary system. The project was eventually shut down.
In 2025, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly made it clear that Diem was finished.
Now, instead of minting a coin, Meta wants to act as a platform that distributes and supports existing stablecoins. In simple terms, it wants to stay out of the role of issuer and focus on enabling payments.
New U.S. rules changed the game
One big reason this is happening now is regulation.
The GENIUS Act, signed into law in 2025, created the first federal framework for fully reserved payment stablecoins in the United States. That gives companies like Meta and Stripe clearer legal ground to operate.
When Libra launched in 2019, there were no clear rules. Now there are.
Stripe said in its 2025 annual letter that Bridge’s transaction volume has quadrupled as stablecoins quietly expand beyond crypto trading into real-world payments.
Why this matters
Meta’s platforms serve around 3 billion users globally. Many creators receive small international payments. Traditional wire transfers and currency conversion fees can take a big cut from those earnings.
Stablecoins could:
- Lower cross-border costs
- Speed up payments
- Reduce banking friction
It could also help Meta compete with other platforms building “super app” ecosystems.
What’s still unclear
There are still open questions:
- Which stablecoins will Meta support?
- Will payments happen directly on blockchain networks, or behind the scenes?
- Who will manage wallets and compliance?
- Will the rollout start outside the U.S.?
For now, both Meta and Stripe have declined to comment publicly.
But the direction is clear. Meta isn’t trying to control digital money anymore. It’s trying to use the system that now exists — and this time, it’s doing it within the rules.
