Bastion CEO says major companies want to own their payment rails, not rent from Visa or Mastercard

The world’s largest companies are tired of paying rent to Visa and Mastercard. They want to own the building. That’s the argument from Bastion CEO Nassim Eddequiouaq, whose company was named the sole stablecoin issuance provider for Sony Bank on December 1, 2025. The partnership will let Sony Bank develop a USD-backed stablecoin for use across treasury operations, in-app payments, and other functions within Sony’s sprawling ecosystem, with a planned launch in 2026 pending regulatory approval. Why corporations want their own stablecoins According to Eddequiouaq, enterprises want full control over their payment economics. That includes reserve yields, redemption fees, and the ability to settle transactions faster and cheaper than traditional card networks allow. A branded stablecoin essentially lets a company become its own payment processor, cutting out the middlemen who have dominated the space for decades. Sony Bank’s stablecoin will be backed 1:1 by USD reserves managed by Bastion. Rather than Sony building compliance and reserve infrastructure from scratch, Bastion handles the plumbing. Bastion’s playbook: infrastructure, not competition Bastion has made a deliberate choice that...