Ignas Survila, CEO and co-founder of Rizon, a global dollar banking alternative for global population.
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International payments are no longer just an occasional business occurrence. According to business leaders, cross-border hiring is expected to grow, while domestic hiring is becoming less attractive when looking at the global talent pool. Freelancing is also becoming more attractive, with 86.5 million Americans predicted to be part of the gig economy in 2027, representing approximately half of the country’s workforce.
Migrant workers also rely on international payments to support their families back home. The global remittance market is projected to grow to $441 billion by 2032. However, traditional banking is not built for such a borderless workforce. International transactions usually involve high fees, long transaction times and sometimes volatile currencies. This points to a growing need for a new form of banking that better supports the global worker. Neobanks that leverage stablecoins may be the answer.
Traditional banking systems are built on the assumption that people live, work and make transfers locally. This used to be largely true for decades, but in 2026, things are different. For the remote worker with clients in many different countries, traditional banking simply doesn’t cut it anymore. International transfers can take days to go through, and the fees can be hefty. According to Visa, traditional banks can charge between 4% and 15% for international payments. These are fees that cut into people’s hard-earned money.
Migrant workers face the same problem when sending money abroad to their families. They lose a large portion of their money in transfer fees, and their families have to wait for days to receive the money.
Also, many countries experience devastatingly high levels of inflation. Venezuela, in particular, continues to suffer from hyperinflation. With inflation so high, millions of people can no longer rely on their local currencies. This is especially relevant for freelancers and those relying on remittances, whose income often crosses borders and can quickly lose value when converted into an unstable currency.
Stablecoins have many benefits that traditional currencies lack. For one, stablecoins like USDC or USDT are pegged in value to the U.S. dollar, which is hugely beneficial for people living in countries with volatile currencies. Second, they can be transferred almost instantly without relying on the intermediaries that traditional transfers do. As soon as a stablecoin transaction is initiated, it is recorded on a blockchain and sent directly to the receiving wallet.
This also means reduced costs. By cutting out the processing fees and foreign transaction fees, stablecoin users can reduce transfer costs significantly. Finally, stablecoins are borderless. Regardless of where the owners of the sending and receiving wallets are located, transactions can be completed quickly, often within seconds to minutes.
All of this sounds great, but we must not forget that stablecoins are still built on blockchain technology, which means they are not inherently accessible to the masses. For most people, there’s too much technical complexity involved, such as seed phrases, wallets, gas fees, on-ramps and off-ramps. Also, stablecoins are not widely accepted for everyday purchases, so their use as a replacement for traditional money is limited.
Without easier usability, stablecoins are too complex and impractical for most people. But things are changing, and a new category of banking is emerging: the stablecoin neobank.
Stablecoin neobanks are simplifying the way users interact with stablecoins. These platforms offer interfaces that are similar to traditional banking apps—users can send, receive and hold stablecoins without having to navigate a blockchain themselves.
Instead, many of the complex crypto-specific elements like wallets and seed phrases are handled behind the scenes, providing users with the benefits of stablecoins in the form of a familiar, practical interface. Some platforms can also make stablecoins usable for everyday purchases by providing debit cards that can convert the stablecoins into local currency.
A number of companies, including my own, are already exploring this model. Circle is building infrastructure around USDC payments, while RedotPay enables users to spend digital assets through cards. Players like Rain are focusing on connecting stablecoins with traditional payment rails.
The emergence of stablecoin neobanks will likely play a key role in determining whether stablecoins remain a niche financial tool or become mainstream financial infrastructure.
All of this said, there are a few things these neobanks will need to focus on in order to be successful. Usability must improve without hiding key risks, on- and off-ramps need to become more available globally, and regulatory clarity will be essential to build trust. Beyond transfers, these platforms will also need to support everyday financial use cases, from payments to subscriptions, while solving the distribution challenge of reaching users at scale.
We will likely see a shift in how money moves internationally. In my view, stablecoins are much more efficient for international transactions than traditional banking systems. And as stablecoins become more accessible through dedicated neobanks, they may become the go-to option for cross-border salary payments, freelance payments and remittances.
At the same time, traditional banks are unlikely to disappear—they’re too deeply embedded into the global economy. However, this could mean that users will have more choice. Depending on their situation, they may continue to rely on traditional banks for certain services and turn to stablecoin neobanks when fast, cost-efficient and reliable cross-border payments are a priority.
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