Stablecoins for business: a practical guide for finance teams

Stablecoins can support business payments and treasury transfers on networks that operate continuously. Start with one payment flow, compare the complete funding-to-delivery cost, and define who holds funds, authorizes payments, and reconciles the result.

A business can hold stablecoins directly or use a provider that converts between fiat and stablecoins. The right model depends on the recipient's needs, available funding and payout services, and your operating responsibilities. Network capabilities alone do not determine a provider's eligibility, legal coverage, or bank delivery time.

Key business use cases

Treasury management

Global treasury teams manage cash across dozens of accounts, currencies, and banking relationships. Stablecoins support transfers of dollar-denominated value on networks that operate 24/7. Funding bank accounts, converting assets, and redeeming into fiat remain separate steps. Plan the balances required for each entity and provider rather than assuming stablecoins eliminate prefunding. Learn more in our corporate treasury guide.

Vendor and supplier payments

Stablecoin transfers can connect an approved supplier payment with onchain delivery evidence. Agree on the asset and network, verify the recipient instructions, and attach an opaque invoice reference. For suppliers receiving fiat, confirm the payout provider's final delivery status as well as the onchain transfer.

Cross-border transfers

Stablecoins can replace part of a correspondent banking route with an onchain transfer. Bank accounts, payout partners, and prefunding can still be needed at the endpoints. Tempo provides near-instant onchain settlement and sub-cent network fees. See our cross-border payments guide for a detailed comparison.

Payroll and contractor payments

Companies with distributed teams can use stablecoins to pay international contractors. Recipients can hold dollar-denominated value and choose when to convert through the services available to them. Read more in our stablecoin payroll guide.

Marketplace and platform payouts

Multi-sided marketplaces, from gig economy platforms to creator economy apps, can offer stablecoin payouts to eligible merchants, drivers, and creators. Local currency delivery depends on the supported payout providers and payment methods. DoorDash is building this on Tempo for its global merchant network.

The stablecoin sandwich

A provider-mediated payment flow can let a business fund and receive payments in fiat while the provider uses stablecoins for the transfer between endpoints.

The "stablecoin sandwich" model works like this:

1. Fiat in. Your business sends USD (or local currency) from your existing bank account to an orchestration provider.
2. Stablecoin transfer. The provider converts to stablecoins, executes the transfer onchain, and delivers to the recipient's provider.
3. Fiat out. The recipient receives local currency in their bank account or mobile wallet.

Confirm the actual account and contractual model before adopting this flow: who owns the funds at each stage, when conversion happens, and what records the provider supplies. A fiat interface alone does not determine custody, accounting treatment, or legal responsibilities. If a provider uses an FBO account, understand how the pooled bank balance maps to your business's ledger balance.

Measure the complete payment cost

Compare the amount your business spends with the amount the recipient receives. Include funding charges, conversion spreads, network fees, provider charges, payout fees, and the staff time required to resolve exceptions. A low network fee does not establish the total price of the payment.

For a pilot, use comparable payments through the existing and proposed flows. Record:

• The source amount, quoted recipient amount, fees, and quote expiry.
• The time funding starts, the onchain transfer confirms, and the recipient can use the funds.
• Balances held with each provider and the time they remain unavailable elsewhere.
• Failed, returned, or manually reviewed payments and the work needed to resolve them.

Use those results to estimate savings and integration payback. Keep assumptions explicit; there is no universal savings percentage or payment volume at which stablecoins become the better option. See payment reconciliation for the records to preserve.

Getting started: an assessment framework

Before selecting a provider or integration approach, finance teams should evaluate three areas:

1. Identify high-friction corridors

Identify your highest-cost or highest-friction payment corridors. Compare proposed routes against the specific funding currency, recipient country, payout method, and transaction size your business needs. Broad regional coverage is not evidence that a particular route is available.

2. Map your pain points

Common pain points include cost, settlement speed, reconciliation overhead, trapped working capital, and payment failures. Each pain point may lead to a different starting use case.

3. Choose buy or build

Decide which responsibilities your team will operate and which a provider will handle. A provider can shorten the integration work, but the supported services and contractual responsibilities vary.

Integration approaches

Buy: orchestration providers

Payment and orchestration providers can connect funding, conversion, stablecoin transfers, and local payouts through an API. Confirm the supported assets, markets, custody model, controls, and approval requirements for the specific service. Explore payment and ramp providers as a starting point.

Best forCompanies that want to test stablecoins quickly without building blockchain expertise in-house.

Build: direct integration

Building directly on stablecoin infrastructure gives you more control over the payment flow and the ability to customize for your specific use case. Compare its operating and engineering costs with the provider model. This requires managing wallets, custody, banking relationships, and compliance tooling.

Best forCompanies with high transaction volumes, technical teams, and specific requirements that off-the-shelf solutions don't meet.

Hybrid

A hybrid model can combine your own accounts and payment logic with providers for funding or local payouts. Document the handoff between systems so a confirmed onchain transfer is not mistaken for completed bank delivery.

Risk considerations

Counterparty risk

Stablecoins differ. Evaluate the issuer's reserve composition, attestation frequency, regulatory status, and track record. Understand the distinction between issuer requirements and the obligations of a business using stablecoins. Our GENIUS Act analysis covers the OCC final rule and what it means for rewards and branded stablecoins. If you use direct issuance or redemption, confirm the issuer's mint and burn process and access requirements.

Operational risk

New payment rails introduce new operational considerations: wallet management, key security, provider uptime, and support processes. Start with a pilot to identify and address these before scaling.

Regulatory risk

The regulatory landscape is stabilizing but still evolving. Work with counsel familiar with stablecoin regulation in your operating jurisdictions.

Why Tempo for enterprise stablecoin payments

Tempo is the blockchain purpose-built for payments. Unlike general-purpose blockchains designed for trading and DeFi, Tempo was built with enterprise payment requirements from day one:

• Near-instant onchain settlementConfirmed transfers provide evidence for the onchain leg. Bank funding and payout delivery have their own timelines.
• Stablecoin feesTransaction fees are paid in supported stablecoins without a separate native gas token. Applications can also use fee sponsorship. See how stablecoin fees work.
• Transfer policiesIssuers can apply allowlist or blocklist rules through TIP-403 policies. Screening decisions, identity checks, reporting, and any required information exchange need separate systems and processes.
• PrivacyTempo Zones keep balances and activity in a private ledger. The operator can read that ledger, and deposit and withdrawal amounts remain public. Access and supported features depend on the deployment.
• Enterprise design partnersTempo is built with input from companies like DoorDash, Stripe, Coastal Bank, and ARQ. Read about their work in our enterprise announcement.

For finance teams, these features provide tools for operating payment flows. The business and its providers still need to define authorization, funding, customer controls, and reconciliation.

Enterprise proof points

Companies have announced a range of payment projects with Tempo:

• DoorDash is bringing stablecoin-powered payouts to its global marketplace across 40+ countries. Read the story
• Felix has announced work with Tempo on stablecoin remittance settlement. Read the story
• ARQ is building cross-border payment infrastructure for Latin American businesses on Tempo. Read the story
• Coastal Bank partners with Tempo for stablecoin-settled cross-border payments. Read the story

Start with a bounded pilot

Pick one payment flow with measurable friction and a supported recipient experience. Set funding limits, approvals, and a process for unresolved payments before sending funds. Compare the complete cost and delivery outcome with your existing process, then expand only the parts that meet the business case. Contact Tempo's advisory team to discuss the payment infrastructure.

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Frequently asked questions

Do we need to hold crypto on our balance sheet?

A provider may offer fiat funding and fiat delivery while using stablecoins between those endpoints. Confirm who owns and controls funds at each stage, the contractual model, and the records supplied. A fiat interface alone does not determine the accounting treatment.

Which banks support stablecoins?

Support varies by bank, product, asset, and customer. Ask your banking and payment providers whether they support the specific funding and payout flow you need, including eligibility, limits, timing, and reconciliation records.

How does using stablecoins affect our accounting?

Map the assets held, entity ownership, conversion events, fees, and payment obligations to your accounting process. Preserve provider records and onchain evidence. Dollar denomination does not by itself eliminate accounting or foreign currency considerations.

What's the minimum volume to justify stablecoin adoption?

There is no universal threshold. Compare complete payment costs, implementation effort, operating work, and working capital needs for a specific flow. A pilot with representative payments can establish whether the proposed model improves on your current process.

How do I pitch stablecoins to my CFO?

Present one measurable payment problem, the proposed operating model, and the results of a comparable pilot. Include source and recipient amounts, complete costs, delivery times, prefunded balances, and exception rates. Avoid assuming a network fee saving equals the saving on the complete payment.

Is this just for cross-border payments?

No. Businesses can also evaluate stablecoins for treasury transfers, domestic B2B payments, and platform payouts. The funding, recipient experience, and operating requirements still need to be assessed for each flow.

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