Are Stablecoins in Corporate Treasury Killing SWIFT?
The corporate treasury is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation. Companies now want to move money more quickly, cut costs, and settle payments without the usual delays. Traditional banking is slow, and treasury teams know it.
Arnoud Star Busmann, CEO of Quantoz, has seen this problem up close. He’s worked at ING Bank, led a mining company in Canada, and dealt with cross-border payment headaches first-hand. Today, he leads a Dutch company that issues regulated stablecoins on public blockchains.
In this article, we’ll cover what stablecoins in the corporate treasury actually mean in practice. We’ll look at how they differ from CBDCs, which industries are moving fastest, how teams manage risk, and what AI-driven payments mean for the future of liquidity.
Understanding Stablecoins in Corporate Treasury
Stablecoins are now attracting the attention of corporate treasury teams. For years, people linked them to crypto trading. That view is changing. Today, treasurers see stablecoins as a tool because they move money quickly.
A stablecoin transfer can settle in seconds, even across borders. Traditional bank transfers take days. So stablecoins cut delays and settlement costs. Faster settlement means less waiting, lower risk, smoother cash movement, and finality.
Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels
CBDCs and Tokenised Deposits
Treasury teams hear the term “money” together, and that creates confusion. First, there are CBDCs. Central banks issue them, thereby creating new money. That makes CBDCs a monetary action, not just a technical upgrade.
Next come tokenised deposits. These represent money already in bank accounts. Banks convert them into digital tokens. However, they usually stay inside a closed system, so wider use remains limited.
What Makes Stablecoins Different
Stablecoins differ because bank accounts or liquid assets, such as money market funds, should back each coin. Regulated stablecoins follow strict rules, and audits confirm one-to-one backing.
Holders can:
- redeem coins for fiat currency
- trade them in secondary markets
Prices can move slightly. For treasurers, regulated stablecoins matter most.
Adoption of Stablecoins in Corporate Treasury
Stablecoin adoption is growing, but the market is early. Many teams start with curiosity. They want to understand payment use.
However, others already see value because they face slow settlement, costly cross-border payments, and liquidity issues. Stablecoins offer a simpler option.
Industries Moving Faster
Some sectors move faster because global payments sit at the centre of their business. These include:
- payment service providers
- merchant acquirers
- marketplaces and online platforms
- trade finance platforms
These businesses move money across borders every day. Faster settlement improves liquidity across supply chains and networks.
Cross-Border Collections Are a Major Driver
A common use case involves exporters that sell abroad without a local bank account. Exporters in Southeast Asia often sell to customers in Europe. Traditional SWIFT payments can become expensive.
Even a €10,000 or €20,000 payment can be eaten up by fees. Stablecoins speed payment, support continuous fund release, improve cash flow, and reduce treasury risk.
Geography Still Shapes Payment Efficiency
Transfers between major centres often work well. However, friction rises away from hubs like New York. Teams balance speed, risk, and cost. Stablecoins improve visibility because blockchain transactions settle within minutes and rarely stay ‘in transit’.
Photo by Sora Shimazaki
Managing Risk with Stablecoins in Corporate Treasury
Stablecoins can help teams move money faster and manage liquidity. However, they also introduce risks, so teams must review them carefully. The first concern is counterparty risk.
When a company holds stablecoins, it relies on the issuer to hold reserves and honour redemption requests. So teams review issuers much like banks.
Key Factors Treasury Teams Evaluate
Before holding stablecoins, teams ask:
- Can we redeem directly with the issuer?
- Does the coin trade easily through brokers or exchanges?
- Does the price stay close to the underlying currency?
If liquidity weakens or spreads widen, the asset behaves more like an investment. Treasury teams avoid that risk for operational cash.
Why Regulation and Reserves Matter
Regulation reduces concerns. In Europe, MiCA sets reserve rules. Issuers must hold at least 30 percent of their assets in cash at regulated EU banks. The rest can sit in liquid instruments, such as government debt.
These assets must carry low market risk and avoid concentration. Reserves remain separate from company assets, and auditors verify compliance with these rules.
Operational Risk and Compliance
Teams use multi-signature approvals, address whitelists, custodial wallets, and screening. Blockchain records clearly trace funds, but sanctioned histories can trigger freezes later.
The Future of Stablecoins in Corporate Treasury
Stablecoins could play a role in future treasury work. However, the bigger shift will come from faster, smarter payments. Technology keeps advancing, and AI agents are already appearing in financial tools.
Soon, these agents could buy services, pay vendors, and handle routine tasks. Because they operate online, they need digital payment tools. Stablecoins fit naturally into that setup.
Programmable Payments for Automated Systems
If agents start spending money, companies must set clear rules. They cannot let an automated system pay anyone. Purpose-bound money helps because it carries rules about use.
Companies can limit spending to:
- approved merchants
- specific services or products
- trusted payment networks
These rules keep control while still allowing automation.
Smarter Liquidity Management
Another issue appears when agents hold wallets. Imagine thousands of agents holding small balances. Suddenly, too much company cash sits idle.
Stablecoins help because payments move almost instantly, so systems do not need large pre-funded balances. Teams can refill wallets only when needed.
Moving From ‘Just in Case’ to ‘Just in Time’ Liquidity
Treasury teams can keep funds invested until payment time, reduce trapped cash, improve returns, and let platforms automatically choose the fastest, cheapest rail. Stablecoins could then work quietly in the background.
Conclusion
Stablecoins are moving from crypto trading into mainstream corporate treasury, offering faster settlement and lower cross-border costs. While counterparty and operational risks remain, regulatory frameworks like MiCA are giving treasury teams the confidence to adopt them.
The rise of AI-driven payments will further cement stablecoins as an essential treasury tool. For companies ready to embrace this shift, the move from “just in case” to “just in time” liquidity could redefine how cash is managed globally.
