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Stablecoins integrate into payment flows as US regulators propose new accounting standards
Stablecoins are increasingly being integrated into global payment infrastructures, often operating behind the scenes. Infrastructure providers are enabling digital asset transactions that allow merchants to receive traditional currency and settlement experiences. For example, Rain CEO Farooq Malik noted that over 100,000 merchants receive stablecoin-involved payments without necessarily knowing the technology is being used.
In the United States, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has proposed new rules regarding how digital assets are reported on corporate balance sheets. The proposal, ‘Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Cash Equivalents — Disclosure Enhancement and Evaluation of Certain Digital Assets’, aims to standardize how companies classify stablecoins as cash equivalents. The comment period for this proposal is open until November 19, 2026.
While USD-denominated stablecoins like USDT and USDC dominate the market with roughly 90% of the global supply, local currency stablecoins (LCS) remain a niche. These tokens, pegged to non-USD sovereign currencies such as the Brazilian real or Nigerian naira, face structural challenges due to the liquidity and infrastructure advantages held by dominant reserve currencies.
Entities
Financial Accounting Standards Board · Kraken · PYMNTS Intelligence · Rain · Visa
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The comment period for the FASB proposal on digital asset cash equivalents runs until November 19, 2026.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Consumers are showing increased interest in using stablecoins and cryptocurrencies for purchases, though acceptance and trust remain limiting factors. retailwit.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 100,000 merchants receive payments involving stablecoins, often without being aware of the underlying technology. retailwit.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] USDT and USDC account for approximately 90% of the global stablecoin supply. www.cgap.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The FASB has released a proposal titled ‘Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Cash Equivalents — Disclosure Enhancement and Evaluation of Certain Digital Assets’ for comment.