Everyone is doing it, so why not Meta (Facebook)? Stablecoins are the new and improved payments and transfer rails of the future. But for those in the know, Meta attempted to launch a digital currency several years ago under the project names Libra and then Diem. The attempt collapsed into a mire of misjudged political sentiment, and eventually, Meta sold off the bits and pieces.
With the stablecoin market now clear on the rules, Meta is taking another swing at this form of digital asset as it seeks to compete with the growing number of firms offering payment stablecoins.
It has been widely reported that Meta expects to enter the stablecoin market in the second half of 2026. At least initially, Meta plans to integrate third-party, dollar-pegged stablecoins into its ecosystem, like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
Meta is expected to hook up with platforms like Stripe or others as users now expect in App payments and digital wallets.
Mouloukou Sanoh, founder and CEO of MANSA, a Tether-backed liquidity platform that’s processed over $320M in cross-border payments since 2023, would like to support Meta’s expansion. He says that Meta re-entering the stablecoin space after its experience with Libra is a clear signal: stablecoins are firmly established as core payments infrastructure.
“On the regulatory side, frameworks like the GENIUS Act establish clear legal foundations for stablecoin issuers. In 2019, Meta was asking permission to build something regulators didn’t understand and didn’t trust. Today, stablecoins are processing hundreds of billions in transaction volume annually. The question is no longer ‘should this exist?’ but ‘how do we govern it properly says Sanoh. “The second shift is proof of concept. In 2019, stablecoins were a theory. Today, they are working infrastructure. Payment companies are using them to move real money across real corridors, delivering measurable cost reductions and speed improvements. Meta is not taking a punt by entering a market that has already demonstrated demand.”
He notes that having around 3 billion users can drive enormous value. Especially if you can offer the ability to move in and out of all types of fiat currency, without onerous fees and being compliant.
“Reach is not the hard part. The hard part is everything underneath: making sure money can move efficiently across borders, managing the working capital needed to settle transactions, and navigating local compliance in every market. That is where the real work is being done, and where the real value will accrue,” says Sonoh.
How times have changed.