Apple, Google, and Airbnb test stablecoins as tech giants race to explore new payment models

According to Fortune magazine, global technology giants such as Apple, X (formerly Twitter), Airbnb and Google are actively contacting cryptocurrency companies to explore the possibility of integrating stablecoins into payment systems. These companies believe that stablecoins have the potential to significantly reduce transaction costs, especially in cross-border payments and user settlement efficiency.

People familiar with the matter revealed that the Trump administration has gradually relaxed its regulatory policies on cryptocurrencies since taking office, which has created opportunities for companies to explore in a compliant environment. Affected by this, many technology companies have begun to actively deploy crypto payment infrastructure.

Airbnb has been negotiating with payment company Worldpay since the beginning of 2025 to discuss how to use stablecoins for platform settlement; while the X platform has cooperated with payment giant Stripe in the development of its "X Money" payment application to study the application of stablecoins in social payment scenarios.

Apple is also not far behind, and has started early technical docking with several stablecoin companies such as USDC issuer Circle to study its integration path in the App Store or Apple Pay ecosystem. In contrast, Google is the fastest. Its cloud computing service Google Cloud has taken the lead in supporting users to use the PYUSD stablecoin issued by PayPal to complete settlement. This also marks the first time that stablecoins have entered the commercial product system of mainstream technology companies.

At the same time, Stripe, the largest payment infrastructure provider in the industry, recently completed the acquisition of the stablecoin startup Bridge. This move further strengthened the confidence of large companies in this field. Some experts pointed out that Bridge's technology may become a key bridge between stablecoins and traditional financial systems.

However, despite the broad prospects, technology companies still face regulatory challenges in the integration of stablecoins, especially the compliance differences in different jurisdictions around the world. Some companies are even evaluating the possibility of issuing their own stablecoins to better control risks and ecological data.

As policies gradually become clear, the mainstream application of stablecoins may be led by these technology giants. In the future, consumers may see the "use stablecoin settlement" option on Apple Pay, Google Pay or Airbnb payment pages. It may not be far away.