Chime (CHYM.US) explores introducing stablecoins to its digital banking platform, traditional finance accelerates deployment in daily payment scenarios

According to reports from Zhihu Finance APP, U.S. fintech company Chime Financial (CHYM.US) is exploring the integration of stablecoin features into its consumer-facing digital banking platform, indicating that the use cases of stablecoins are extending further beyond the cryptocurrency trading market into daily payments and financial services.

According to sources and related documents, in late spring this year, San Francisco-based Chime invited several blockchain technology firms to submit proposals in hopes of acquiring an “end-to-end” stablecoin wallet service. Among them, stablecoin infrastructure startup Rain discussed the related plan with Chime. However, it is still unclear whether negotiations between the two sides are ongoing. Chime declined to comment, while Rain stated it would not respond to market rumors or speculation.

A stablecoin wallet is essentially a digital account used for sending, receiving, and managing stablecoins. If Chime ultimately embeds this feature directly into its existing banking app, users would no longer need to open accounts on third-party platforms such as cryptocurrency exchanges—they could instead use stablecoins directly via Chime’s app. This would further lower the barrier for ordinary consumers to access and use digital assets.

Stablecoins are typically pegged to fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar. Over the past year, interest from traditional financial institutions in this field has clearly risen, largely because stablecoins can provide around-the-clock, faster payment and settlement services. A report released this February by McKinsey and blockchain data firm Artemis showed that stablecoin payment volumes reached $390 billion last year, more than doubling compared to 2024.

The increasingly clarified U.S. regulatory environment has also propelled stablecoins into the traditional financial system. President Trump has consistently supported stablecoin development and views it as a means to expand the global influence of the dollar. The “GENIUS Act,” signed into law in July 2025, established a regulatory framework for stablecoins in the U.S., leading to an accelerating presence of mainstream financial and payment companies in this sector.

Earlier this month, Mastercard (MA.US) completed its acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK, aiming to further promote global stablecoin payment business; Visa (V.US) also launched a new platform in July, allowing financial institutions to issue, transfer, and manage stablecoins. This means that large global payment networks are gradually integrating stablecoins into their existing payment infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the number of stablecoin market participants is growing rapidly. At the end of June, more than 100 companies—including Stripe, BlackRock (BLK.US), and Google’s parent company Alphabet (GOOGL.US)—announced the joint launch of a stablecoin called Open USD. Chime is also a member of the Open Standard Alliance. At the time, Chime’s founder and CEO Chris Britt described stablecoins as a “breakthrough technology.”

Open USD is entering what is currently a highly concentrated market. Stablecoins issued by Tether and Circle Internet Group (CRCL.US) account for the majority of current market supply. However, as banks, payment companies, asset management firms, and major tech companies successively enter the space, competition in the stablecoin sector is expanding from pure issuance volume to application scenarios such as payments, wallets, and financial infrastructure.

Founded in 2012, Chime has become one of the larger digital banking fintech firms in the U.S. and went public last year. To date, the company has more than 10.4 million active users. If Chime eventually officially introduces a stablecoin wallet to its banking app, stablecoins would gain direct access to Chime’s massive consumer user base, further demonstrating how stablecoins are moving from crypto market infrastructure into mainstream financial and everyday payment systems.