Stablecoins offer sub-cent payments, Armstrong says, as critics flag risks

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has praised stablecoins for enabling instant global dollar transfers for under one cent, while critics have raised concerns about privacy and frozen funds. Summary Armstrong says stablecoins let users hold major currencies and send money globally for under one cent. Responses questioned public transaction visibility and centralized issuers’ ability to restrict access to funds. Tether’s sanctions policy and Circle’s USDC terms document circumstances in which transfers can be blocked. Coinbase’s payment partnerships and Polygon’s privacy tools show how companies are addressing everyday payment needs. Brian Armstrong, writing on X on Nov. 6, said stablecoins give people access to dollars and other major fiat currencies, alongside the ability to send them instantly across borders. His post described an existing use of the technology without announcing a new Coinbase product, supported market, or change to transaction fees. The statement focused on holding and transferring money, leaving the steps involved in buying stablecoins or converting them into local currency unaddressed. Stablecoins give everyone in the world the ability to hold dollars (and many other major fiat currencies), and send them instantly anywhere in the world for less than 1 cent. — Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) November 6, 2026 Stablecoin transfers are one part of the payment process Coinbase-built network Base describes its payment infrastructure as supporting continuous stablecoin settlement without banking-hour cutoffs. Its listed uses include international payroll, remittances, merchant payments, and accounts that let customers hold stablecoin balances. The same page separates a payment into four steps: funding through a bank account, card or another provider; converting into stablecoins; settling across Base; and delivering funds to a recipient who can hold the tokens or use a supported cash-out service. Armstrong’s post did not specify a blockchain or payment provider, or say whether the sub-cent figure included conversion and withdrawal charges. You might also like: Coinbase says customers unaffected by $6.34B Binance hack A live commercial example comes from Nium, which announced its Coinbase integration in April. Nium said clients could send and receive stablecoins and convert them into traditional currencies for payouts, with Coinbase supplying payment infrastructure, liquidity, wallets and custody. According to Nium, the arrangement connects stablecoin payments with its network serving more than 190 countries. Its announcement described a service for banks, fintech companies and enterprises. Public stablecoin payments can expose financial activity One response to Armstrong’s statement, posted by the account using the name 0xAye, accepted the speed and cost argument but questioned whether transparent blockchains provide the privacy people expect when using money. His claim about speed and cost is right, but there's one part he hasn't mentioned.