Uber Eyes Cost Efficiency Through Stablecoin Payments, Enters ‘Study’ Phase

Uber is taking a serious look at stablecoins as it explores ways to streamline international transactions and reduce cross-border payment costs.

Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech Summit in San Francisco on June 5, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company is currently in the “study phase” of evaluating stablecoins as a potential payment method, calling the technology “super interesting.”

The exec highlighted stablecoins for their practical utility in global business operations.

While Uber has signaled crypto curiosity in the past, stating as early as 2021 that it was open to accepting digital assets, the current focus appears to be more pragmatic, zeroing in on real-world use cases that could improve the company’s operational efficiency.

This shift comes at a time when regulatory clarity is taking shape, particularly in the US, where the bipartisan GENIUS Act aims to establish a clear legal framework for payment stablecoins.

The act coincides with similar moves in Europe under MiCA and emerging regulations across Asia. This growing regulatory certainty has prompted traditional financial institutions such as Citigroup and Wells Fargo to explore stablecoin initiatives.

In April, Mastercard also launched a stablecoin payment system, partnering with OKX and Nuvei to enable consumers to spend and merchants to accept stablecoins globally. The initiative reflects growing regulatory clarity and includes integration with major crypto platforms like MetaMask, Kraken, and Binance for seamless, end-to-end transactions.

Other companies, including Stripe, have also revealed ongoing talks with banks to leverage stablecoin rails for commerce.

For Uber, a platform that operates across more than 70 countries and 15,000 cities, stablecoins could offer a cost-efficient solution to settle driver payments, handle customer transactions, and bypass traditional currency exchange complexities. Whether Uber moves beyond its exploratory phase remains to be seen.