Meta Platforms is preparing to integrate stablecoin-backed payments across its apps in the second half of 2026, according to three people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The company has issued a request for proposals to third-party firms, with Stripe named by one source as the leading candidate to pilot the system.
None of the three companies involved - Meta, Stripe, or Bridge - responded to requests for comment.
What the Plan Involves
Meta intends to rely entirely on an outside vendor to administer dollar-pegged token transactions and implement a new wallet integrated across Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, which together serve more than 3 billion users.
One source described the approach as deliberately cautious: "They want to do this, but at arm's length." The architecture would have a licensed partner handle issuance, compliance, and settlement, while Meta controls distribution.
Stripe is a long-standing Meta partner and acquired stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge for $1.1 billion in 2024.
Bridge received conditional OCC approval on Feb. 17 to charter a national trust bank, and Stripe CEO Patrick Collison joined Meta's board in April 2025. Bridge already powers custom stablecoins for Phantom and MetaMask via its Open Issuance platform.
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The Libra Context
Meta first attempted a stablecoin launch in 2019 with Libra - later renamed Diem - which drew fierce opposition from U.S. lawmakers already skeptical of the company following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The Libra Association scaled back to multiple single-currency tokens in 2020, and the project was wound down with its assets sold in early 2022.
That experience appears to be driving Meta's current preference for outsourcing issuance and custody rather than building its own coin.
The Regulatory Backdrop
The GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, established the first federal legal framework for U.S. stablecoin issuers, including reserve requirements and audit standards.
U.S. regulators are still finalizing implementing rules, with full compliance deadlines expected by early 2027. The stablecoin market has grown to approximately $318 billion in total capitalization, with Tether (USDT) and USDC together controlling 86% of the market.
Whether Meta plans to launch a proprietary stablecoin or integrate an existing one such as USDC remains unclear from the sourcing.