- Amazon and Walmart are reportedly planning to dip their toes into the crypto market with the launch of their own stablecoins.
- If they do dive into digital currencies, it wouldn’t just be a headline; it could spark investor confidence and fresh capital.
Retail giants Amazon and Walmart are reportedly making moves toward launching their own USD-backed stablecoins, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar with the matter.
If true, this would mark one of the most powerful endorsements of crypto technology by mainstream corporations to date. Stablecoins are digital assets pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar. They offer a faster, cheaper way to move money without relying on traditional financial intermediaries.
For Amazon and Walmart, it’s a potential overhaul of how they handle payments. Every year, these companies lose billions to credit card processing fees and delays in banking settlements.
A proprietary stablecoin could allow them to bypass legacy payment networks, cutting down on 1–3% swipe fees and turning multi-day settlements into instant transfers for suppliers, vendors, and even customers. It’s a chance to improve efficiency, save money, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
This isn’t entirely new territory. Walmart filed a patent for a digital currency back in 2019, coined by some as a potential “Walmart Coin”, but the project never launched. On the other hand, we reported that Amazon is reportedly preparing to introduce XRP payments on its platform, signaling growing confidence in blockchain-based payments.
Meanwhile, other players like Shopify are already accepting stablecoins through platforms like Coinbase Commerce and Circle’s USDC, and companies like Airbnb, Apple, and even X are reportedly in talks with crypto firms to explore similar integrations.
That said, public skepticism still looms large. After the 2022 collapse of algorithmic stablecoins like TerraUSD, regulators and users alike are more cautious than ever.
Stablecoin issued by Amazon or Walmart would need to be bulletproof, technically sound, and governed transparently to earn public trust and regulatory approval.
The Timing
The GENIUS Act, short for Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, is a bipartisan bill introduced in early 2025 by Senators Bill Hagerty, Tim Scott, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cynthia Lummis. It’s designed to create the first comprehensive federal framework for payment stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to the U.S. dollar and meant for everyday use.
Key provisions include 100% reserve requirements, meaning stablecoin issuers must back every token with U.S. dollars, Treasury bills, or similarly liquid assets to ensure full redemption. For added transparency, any issuer with over $50 billion in market cap must also submit to annual external audits. The bill cleared the Senate Banking Committee in March with an 18–6 vote and received bipartisan support in a cloture vote (68–30), setting up its final Senate vote on June 17.
While generally welcomed, the bill has drawn criticism over consumer protections and perceived political entanglements related to Trump. Still, if these companies follow through with launching stablecoins under President Donald Trump’s regulatory environment, it could reshape consumer finance and potentially ignite the next major crypto bull run.
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