A revolution is brewing in how you save, spend, and invest
There’s a great clip from the Today Show back in 1994. Anchors Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel are trying to figure out what, exactly, “the internet” is. They’re confused by an email address. They’re not quite sure what @ means. It’s funny now, but also a reminder of how big changes often start.
I think we’ll look back on the early days of stablecoins the same way.
Dubbed “stablecoin summer,” it sounds like nothing more than a fad right now. However, it’s actually the beginning of a long-overdue upgrade to how money works for everyone, not just for finance nerds or crypto bros.
What’s different this time?
Stablecoins are digital dollars that move at internet speed. Thanks to the GENIUS Act, they now have a formal regulatory framework in the U.S., including access to the Fed’s payment rails. Translation: These dollars are just as legitimate as the ones in our bank accounts—but they’re faster, always on, and programmable (meaning they can be engineered to do specific things based on milestones, such as send money only when an electronic signature is completed).
It’s tempting to frame this all as a Wall Street or capital markets story. And full disclosure, there is a big capital markets story and I am a student of financial history and fintech. My college thesis was on mortgage markets and I spent years at fintechs SoFi, Brex, and now Figure. But I’m also a person with a mortgage and young kids, and what excites me most is how this plays out in real life, with real life impact.
Here are five ways this shift to stablecoins is changing how we save, spend, and invest.
1. Paycheck stability
With stablecoin-based payroll, you can get paid the minute you clock out. No processing delays. No Friday-to-Monday gaps.
According to Korn Ferry, there are currently more than 80 million gig workers in the U.S., and projections indicate that over 50% of the workforce will be involved in the gig economy by 2027. Stablecoins will be a game-changer for gig workers, freelancers, and anyone juggling multiple income streams.
While there are other innovations in real-time payments that could theoretically bring paycheck stability, it is the programmable nature of stablecoins that makes this innovation most likely. Online verifications could be done automatically (such as hours worked, compliance, etc.) which would enable payroll software to release funds instantly, post shift or employment period completion.
2. Borderless money movement
Ever tried wiring money overseas? The fees, the delays, the confusion, the currency conversion—none of it makes sense in a global, connected world.
With stablecoins, you can send money across borders in seconds. Whether it’s friends splitting a vacation rental in Berlin or getting funds to a cousin in Bogota, the experience is ultra-smooth. And, there’s no arbitrary ~3% penalty just because someone lives in a different country.
3. Your money, your hours
If you want to shift cash into a yield account on a Saturday night or rebalance your investments before the market opens, stablecoin makes that possible.
Tokenized assets—like on-chain Treasuries or private credit—don’t need to follow Wall Street’s calendar. You move when you’re ready, not when the bank is.
That kind of flexibility starts to feel really important when the system stutters, like it did in 2023 with the fall of SVB, First Republic, and Signature Bank. When those banks froze, people realized just how fragile their financial options really were. Stablecoin plus self-custody gives people back some control.
4. Yield that doesn’t hide behind glass
For years, banks have borrowed money for next to nothing, then loaned it back at higher rates. It’s the oldest play in finance, and the least transparent.
Now, platforms like Aave, Compound, and Democratized Prime let stablecoin holders tap into real yields, without the middlemen. It’s a more transparent and low-cost system, where your money can finally pull its weight.
5. AI and stablecoin
One additional opportunity looks beyond present-day needs. In AI, there is a lot of talk about autonomous agents that will do tasks for humans (search the internet, buy an item when the price drops, or plan a trip). These agents will need to be able to pay for things we approve of on our behalf, and therefore they will need programmable money that works around the clock (as these agents are always on). They will need stablecoin.
The beginning of something better
Stablecoins aren’t here to replace the dollar. They’re here to make it more useful, with less friction, more control, and fewer delays. It’s akin to deciding between snail mail and a text.
The rails of money are finally catching up with the rest of the internet. Years from now, just like that clip from the Today Show, we’ll laugh at how uncertain this moment felt. But right now, we’re at the part where things start to click. No one wonders what @ means anymore. And soon, no one will wonder why their paycheck hasn’t cleared yet.
Michael Tannenbaum is the CEO of Figure.
