Module 8: Crypto Payments and Stablecoins

34 min read

Is there anywhere crypto actually solves a payment problem the existing rails do not?

Most crypto payment claims are noise. A few are not. This module separates the two by walking through the actual mechanics of stablecoin and cryptocurrency payments and comparing them honestly to the rails covered earlier in the course. The answer is more interesting than either the crypto skeptics or the crypto maximalists usually allow.

What you'll learn in this module

How USDC, USDT, and bank-issued tokenized deposits actually settle, including the difference between on-chain settlement and off-chain reconciliation
Where stablecoins genuinely beat correspondent banking (treasury movement, cross-border B2B, weekend settlement) and where they do not
Why merchant acceptance of consumer crypto payments remains a marketing exercise and what would have to change for it to be otherwise
The regulatory landscape (GENIUS Act, MiCA, FSB guidance) and how reserve-backing and redemption rules shape which stablecoins survive
How to evaluate any 'we accept crypto' or 'we settle on-chain' claim against the operational alternative on real rails

The complete module includes worked comparisons of stablecoin versus correspondent-banking settlement for several real B2B treasury use cases.