When Amazon and Walmart show interest in a market, they come to make a serious impact. According to the Wall Street Journal, these retail giants are seriously considering launching their own stablecoin pegged to the dollar. The goal is to break free from banking fees and card networks like Visa or Mastercard. That’s quite a bold move.
Les géants du retail veulent leur part du gâteau financier
Stirring up the payment infrastructure in the U.S., if these retailers go ahead with their plan, billions of dollars in transactions could suddenly bypass traditional banks. And this would only be the beginning.
Pourquoi les stablecoins les obsèdent
Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies backed by fiat currencies like the dollar, offer a simple promise: faster, cheaper payments without intermediaries. For Amazon or Walmart, this means significantly cutting down processing fees for credit cards, sometimes up to 3% per transaction.
But that’s not all. These tokens could also streamline cross-border payments, enable smarter loyalty programs, or even create a closed ecosystem around their own digital currency. An ‘Amazon Coin’ or ‘Walmart Dollar’? It’s no longer science fiction.
Tout dépend du ‘Genius Act’
The green light from regulation could come from the Genius Act, a federal bill under review in the U.S. Congress. This legislation sets the legal framework for private stablecoin issuance and has just passed a crucial step in Washington. If the law goes through, Amazon and Walmart will have free rein to deploy their tokens on a large scale.
It’s worth noting that the two groups are currently exploring various options, from in-house stablecoins to partnerships with third-party issuers. In other words, nothing is set in stone yet, but negotiations are well underway.
Les banques sur la sellette
For traditional banking networks, this poses an existential threat. A stablecoin backed by Amazon’s or Walmart’s logistic and commercial power could divert millions of users from traditional payment channels. In the medium term, Visa, Mastercard, and even some banks could see their revenue from commissions dwindling.
Walmart goes even further: the group is actively lobbying for amendments to promote competition in credit cards.
Ce n’est pas un test. C’est une déclaration de guerre.
If these two giants take action, it would mark a historic shift where large private companies not only use currencies but begin creating them. For crypto investors, stablecoins might just change the game and the playing field.
