Banks Have Faced $230B Threat From Stablecoin Shift
Corporate clients are increasingly turning to non-bank stablecoin providers, forcing banks to rethink their traditional payment models.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Financial Services
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Banks risk losing $230 billion in payments revenue to stablecoins and tokenized deposits as corporate clients seek alternatives to traditional, slow infrastructure. The Capgemini Research Institute reports that 60% of corporates are now willing to source stablecoin services from non-bank providers.
Why it matters
Corporate cross-border payments currently cost 2% of transaction value and take 3.5 days to complete, leaving a significant opening for competitors to offer cheaper, faster alternatives. This shift threatens the traditional bank model, where institutions currently hold massive capital in liquidity accounts that could be unlocked by new technology.
Banks face a $230 billion potential revenue hit as 60% of large corporates pivot toward non-bank stablecoin services. While 71% of firms prefer banks for tokenized payments if quality matches, the current system forces firms to wait 3.5 days for cross-border settlements.
The players
Capgemini Research Institute
A global research organization providing data and insights into the future of digital payments and financial infrastructure.
The details
Banks are struggling with structural limitations in B2B infrastructure that currently trap $4 trillion in settlement accounts. To compete, institutions are attempting to integrate AI-driven surveillance to automate AML and KYC checks before funds move. However, only 21% of banks are currently scaling accelerated intelligent money instruments, leaving the door open for non-bank entities to capture 4% of global payments volume by 2030.
Timeline
Capgemini conducted surveys between May and June 2026.
The World Payments Report 2027 was released on September 24, 2026.
Intelligent money is projected to reach 4% of global volume by 2030.
Market Landscape
This shift follows the long-standing industry trend of non-bank entities capturing B2B volume, which currently accounts for 36% of payments. The new data confirms a fundamental departure from the traditional banking dominance of corporate settlement flows.
Operators should evaluate if their current cross-border payment providers are scaling intelligent money tools to lower the 2% transaction fee. Firms maintaining multiple banking relationships may find opportunities to consolidate volume as non-bank alternatives become more viable for liquidity management.
The takeaway
The dominance of traditional bank payment infrastructure is waning due to high costs and slow settlement times. Operators should track whether their primary banking partners are among the 21% actively scaling intelligent money instruments to avoid being stuck with legacy, high-fee processes.
Further reading
For more on evolving payment trends, see the Financial Services section.
More information
View the report on the Capgemini Research Institute publication portal.
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Do you trust your primary bank to adapt to new digital payment technologies over the long-term?
