Stablecoins offer sub-cent payments, Armstrong says, as critics flag risks

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has praised stablecoins for enabling instant global dollar transfers for under one cent, while critics have raised concerns about privacy and frozen funds. Summary Armstrong says stablecoins let users hold major currencies and send money globally for under one cent. Responses questioned public transaction visibility and centralized issuers’ ability to restrict access to funds. Tether’s sanctions policy and Circle’s USDC terms document circumstances in which transfers can be blocked. Coinbase’s payment partnerships and Polygon’s privacy tools show how companies are addressing everyday payment needs. Brian Armstrong, writing on X on Nov. 6, said stablecoins give people access to dollars and other major fiat currencies, alongside the ability to send them instantly across borders. His post described an existing use of the technology without announcing a new Coinbase product, supported market, or change to transaction fees. The statement focused on holding and transferring money, leaving the steps involved in buying stablecoins or converting them into local currency unaddressed. Stablecoins give everyone in the world the ability to hold dollars (and many oth...