Stablecoins are nearing a breakthrough moment, according to Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire, who likens their current state to the early days of the iPhone — full of untapped potential waiting on better infrastructure and developer tools. Allaire described stablecoins as “the highest utility form of money ever created” while suggesting widespread developer adoption remains ahead. The CEO’s comments respond to the growing recognition of stablecoins’ competitive advantages in financial services. The highest utility form of money ever created. And we are not quite yet at the iPhone moment when developers everywhere realize the power and opportunity of programmable digital dollars on the Internet in the same way they saw the unlock of programmable mobile devices. Soon. https://t.co/tAKgDFrAbW — Jeremy Allaire – jda.eth / jdallaire.sol (@jerallaire) June 14, 2025 You might also like: Crypto VC funding: IREN’s $550m convertible offering, Hypernative’s $40m raise Industry leaders see major stablecoin potential Chamath Palihapitiya has characterized stablecoins as “the grand unifying theory of financial services” that could democratize competition across the sector. The Social Capital founder projected that stablecoins alone could return 100-200 basis points to global GDP, potentially worth $1-3 trillion in 2025. Palihapitiya’s analysis suggests stablecoins will primarily impact rent-seeking financial companies that charge excessive fees while providing minimal value. Stablecoins are the grand unifying theory of financial services. It makes competitors out of EVERYONE. The winner will be consumers and businesses. The impacted are the rent-seeking companies who charge excessive fees for little value. Stablecoins alone could return 100-200bp… https://t.co/CbUkTn6HFv — Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) June 12, 2025 Analyst Simon Taylor notes that the proposed GENIUS Act legislation would prevent stablecoin issuers from paying yield directly to holders. However, users could still earn returns by swapping between stablecoins and tokenized money market funds instantly across different providers. This regulatory structure creates distinct categories where stablecoins function like checking accounts while tokenized money market funds operate as savings alternatives. The ability to move between these instruments 24/7 could change traditional banking relationships. You might also like: NFT sales pump 37% to $144.8m, Immutable dethrones Ethereum Current limitations prevent mainstream adoption Despite enthusiasm from industry leaders, practical challenges continue limiting stablecoin adoption. Current payment services through providers like BVNK charge 2% fees plus $1 network costs for contractor payouts. This makes stablecoins more expensive than traditional alternatives. Still early in stablecoin land when USDC / USDT payouts for Deel contractors running at 2% fees + 1$ ntwk charges Services here provided by BVNK and payouts offered on ETH, Polygon, Tron. Also have a Coinbase USDC option at $5 under $300 or 1.6% above $300 In contrast,… pic.twitter.com/dDOrDa2MVl — Omar (@TheOneandOmsy) June 14, 2025 Services like Deel offer various stablecoin payout options on Ethereum ( ETH ), Polygon ( POL ), and Tron ( TRX ) networks, but fees remain substantially higher than traditional money transfer services like Wise or Revolut that charge minimal fees. This cost disadvantage currently restricts stablecoin usage to customers without access to traditional financial services or those requiring specific cryptocurrency functionality. The fee gap must close before mass market adoption becomes viable. However, Revolut is beginning to blur these distinctions by offering USDT deposits and withdrawals. Allaire’s iPhone analogy suggests that widespread developer adoption requires better tooling, documentation, and infrastructure rather than just technological capability. The original iPhone succeeded because Apple created comprehensive development platforms that made mobile programming accessible. Read more: Bitcoin price eyes multi-year breakout as ETF inflows hit $1.3 billion
