Meta Explores Stablecoin Payments Re-entry with Third-Party Partners; Stripe Emerges as Leading Candidate

Meta is reportedly preparing to re-enter the stablecoin market later this year, integrating third-party providers for dollar-pegged stablecoin payments and a new digital wallet, CoinDesk reported, citing three sources familiar with the plans. The company has issued requests for proposal to several vendors, with one source indicating Stripe is the most likely partner for Meta's initial pilot. Stripe, which acquired stablecoin firm Bridge last year and whose CEO Patrick Collison joined Meta's board in April 2025, has a long-standing collaboration with Meta. This new strategy follows Meta's previous attempt with the Libra stablecoin project, launched in 2019 and later rebranded as Diem, which was shut down in early 2022 due to significant regulatory pressure. The current approach aims to mitigate regulatory scrutiny by leveraging external payment providers.