Coinbase UK CEO Predicts Stablecoins Will Enter Mainstream Payment Infrastructure by 2026

Stablecoins are set to move firmly into the financial mainstream next year, according to Keith Grose, UK CEO of Coinbase, who expects continued acceleration in consumer adoption and regulatory clarity.

Speaking ahead of expected policy developments in the UK, Grose outlines why he believes stablecoins are becoming a central pillar of the next phase of digital finance.

“We see stablecoins transitioning into mainstream payment rails in the UK and worldwide in 2026,” Grose said. “More consumers are now using stablecoins for seamless everyday payments, without needing to change how they transact.”

He adds that global investors are increasingly turning to digital-currency alternatives to diversify away from traditional dollar-denominated instruments.

Regulators Move, but UK Risks Falling Behind

Stablecoin adoption has been rising steadily, powered both by consumer utility and institutional interest. Grose points to emerging regulatory frameworks as a pivotal catalyst.

“The Bank of England’s evolving approach to stablecoins is welcome,” he said. “But to secure London’s place at the heart of the next monetary revolution, more needs to be done. A competitive, well-regulated stablecoin regime can strengthen financial stability and not only allow the UK to catch up with the rest of the world, but lead,” explains Grose.

Stablecoins Move to the Top of the UK’s 2026 Regulatory Agenda

The UK’s financial regulator is also positioning stablecoins as a central component of its digital finance agenda for 2026, marking its most assertive commitment yet to integrating blockchain-based payments into the mainstream economy.

In a year-end letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently outlined its achievements across capital markets reform highlighting the UK’s ambition to build a competitive environment for digital assets.

For 2026, the FCA said it will focus on allowing stablecoins to function within everyday payment systems, echoing industry expectations that digital cash instruments will move into mainstream rails.

Momentum Builds: U.S. and EU Lead the Charge

Momentum across major jurisdictions supports this view. For example, in the United States, the GENIUS Act has provided clearer federal guidelines giving stablecoin issuers and platforms the regulatory certainty needed to expand.

In the European Union, stablecoin activity surged following the 2024 rollout of MiCA, with euro-stablecoin market capitalization doubling within a year as adoption spread across fintech platforms, exchanges, and on-chain settlement providers.

Dollar-backed stablecoins remain the dominant asset class globally, surpassing $260 billion in circulation in Q3 2025, while euro-denominated stablecoins continue to gain traction.

Grose notes that EURC alone has driven more than $70 million in transfer volume on Base, Coinbase’s Layer 2 network — evidence, he says, of stablecoins’ growing role in cross-border payments and digital commerce.

Coinbase Pushes Toward Inclusive Digital Economy

“At Coinbase, we’re committed to continue advancing a digital ecosystem that is increasingly open, innovative and inclusive with stablecoins in the year ahead,” Grose said.

With expanding regulatory clarity, rising consumer adoption and the global payments landscape shifting toward programmable money, 2026 could be the year stablecoins evolve from niche digital assets into standard instruments of everyday financial life.