What to know:
- Crypto usage is consolidating around two core areas: speculative trading and stablecoin payments, said Dan Romero, Stripe-backed blockchain Tempo’s go-to market lead.
- Tempo is leaning into payments, building a network for enterprises with compliance and control in focus.
- Stablecoins are gaining traction in real-world use cases like remittances and global payouts, he said.
After a lot of trial and error, cryptocurrency is now mainly used for two things: buying and selling, and making payments.
At the Consensus 2026 conference in Miami, Dan Romero of Tempo explained that the crypto industry is developing a distinct pattern. He described it as a “barbell” shape, with high-risk, speculative trading platforms like Hyperliquid at one extreme, and the growing use of stablecoins for everyday payments at the other.
He explained that investments in speculative assets and stablecoins have been successful over the past five years. However, many other projects haven’t found a strong market need, despite significant time and money invested in them, leaving that area of the market struggling.
Romero knows what he’s talking about. Before Tempo, he helped create Farcaster, a social media app focused on cryptocurrency. Although it received significant funding and a lot of attention, it didn’t become widely popular.
Tempo is a new blockchain designed specifically for payments, and it’s supported by major companies like Stripe and Paradigm. Unlike many public blockchains, Tempo is built to meet the needs of businesses, offering features like strong compliance and control over transactions.
Companies can, for instance, prevent transactions with specific digital wallet addresses, which helps them lower the risk of violating regulations, according to Romero.
This design shows how big companies are changing their approach to cryptocurrency. Instead of creating their own tokens, many are now using stablecoins to support their systems. One executive explained it like this: “Stablecoins are the behind-the-scenes technology, but businesses will adopt it if it’s more efficient and cost-effective.”
In my research, I’m seeing stablecoins become increasingly popular, particularly for things like sending money internationally. For instance, we’re observing a rise in the use of cryptocurrency networks for cross-border payments between the U.S. and Mexico – they’re now handling a significant and growing portion of those flows.
The next big trend in payments could come from companies that were born on the internet. Especially startups using artificial intelligence, these businesses will likely use stablecoins to easily send money around the world, similar to how Stripe made online payments simpler years ago.
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2026-05-06 00:28