Meta plans to reenter the stablecoin market later this year, four years after regulators blocked its earlier digital currency effort, Libra. The company is preparing to integrate dollar-pegged payments across its social platforms, according to people familiar with the matter.

Sources cited by Coindesk said Meta issued requests for product proposals to external firms to help manage stablecoin-based payments. One named Stripe, which acquired the stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge last year, as a possible partner. Stripe CEO Patrick Collison joined Meta’s board last year, signaling tighter cooperation between the two companies.

Meta Sends Out RFPs for Stablecoin Integration

Commenting on the move, fintech analyst Simon Taylor said Meta’s latest move is about distribution, not reinvention. He added that stablecoins could become the “settlement layer” for Meta’s AI-driven commerce as digital agents begin to transact globally.

• Meta Retreats from Metaverse with Major Cuts and A Pivot to AI
• Meta Soars 12%, Microsoft Tops $4 Trillion as AI Spending Powers Profits
• Why Is Meta Stock Price Going Up Today? Zuckerberg’s META Shares Hit New All-Time High, Rising 26% in 2025

“I can imagine stablecoins will improve cross border flows in long-tail markets where Meta already operates, as it does for Deel and Payoneer today, but think about AI. Meta is earmarking $115-135B in 2026 capex, mostly for AI. They're building agents that shop and transact autonomously, "agentic commerce.”

Meta aims to begin integration in the second half of 2026, supported by a new wallet feature. Unlike the failed Libra project, Meta’s new plan relies on third-party payment infrastructure rather than building its own currency. “They want to do this, but at arm’s length,” one source said.

Regulation and Timing

The renewed push follows the passage of the U.S. GENIUS Act in 2025, which established rules for stablecoin issuers. The company is reportedly racing to launch before provisions limiting big tech stablecoin activity take effect later this year.

Related: Meta Soars 12%, Microsoft Tops $4 Trillion as AI Spending Powers Profits

Meta returning to stablecoins in a second act shaped by its Libra defeat, a new U.S. law that forces big technology companies into partnership models, and a broader race among global platforms (Meta, X, Telegram) to control the stablecoin payments rails rather than the coins themselves.

Policymakers in the United States and Europe were alarmed at the idea of a social media company effectively launching a private global currency, raising concerns over monetary sovereignty, financial stability, and Meta’s track record on data and privacy.

Meta’s new strategy fits squarely into this more cautious, infrastructure‑first environment. Rather than issuing its own coin, it is reportedly sending requests for product proposals to external firms, with Stripe emerging as a likely partner for underlying stablecoin payments.