Meta plans stablecoin revival to expand payments across WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram

Meta, the technology conglomerate behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is preparing to re-enter the stablecoin market in the second half of 2026, marking a significant pivot back to digital assets after abandoning its Diem project four years ago.

According to a CoinDesk report, the company has engaged in early-stage talks with crypto infrastructure firms as it explores integrating stablecoins into its platforms.

Meta’s renewed interest centers on facilitating cheaper international payments for content creators and enabling remittance services across its apps. The approach differs from the company’s 2019 Libra venture, which relied on a consortium of financial partners and drew immediate regulatory backlash.

Meta is expected to tap a third-party stablecoin provider, likely Stripe, according to the report, to facilitate stablecoin payments rather than issue its own token. The shift reflects lessons learned from Libra, which regulators and lawmakers viewed as a threat to monetary sovereignty before it was restructured as Diem and ultimately wound down in early 2022.

The timing coincides with evolving legislative discussions in Washington around stablecoin oversight, creating what executives see as a clearer path for corporate adoption.

Several financial institutions have moved into the space recently, with Stripe completing its acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge last year. Fidelity Investments has also begun exploring stablecoin development, signaling a growing institutional appetite for dollar-backed digital tokens as settlement tools.