Back in 2020, when we first started exploring digital assets at Nium, the world looked very different.
Stablecoins were still considered experimental. Infrastructure was immature. Regulation was unclear. And for companies that operate deeply inside the banking system, like Nium, the risk of engaging with the space was very real.
In 2022, we considered applying for a Digital Payment Token (DPT) license in Singapore. At the time, one of our major banking partners made their position very clear: if we pursued a digital asset license, they would shut down our banking relationship.
For a payments company, losing a banking partner is existential.
So we made a difficult decision - to shut down the crypto division that I had personally started in late 2020. At the time, it felt like the right decision for the business, even though my long‑term vision for digital money never really changed.
Fast forward to today, and the environment looks fundamentally different.
What was once fringe is now becoming infrastructure.
Banks are engaging with the space. Regulators are creating clearer frameworks. Institutions are exploring stablecoins not as speculation, but as a new way to move money globally.
This time, the momentum feels real.
Stablecoin card issuing: unlocking real world utility
One of the most powerful use cases for stablecoins is connecting them to everyday spending through cards.
Stablecoins today move quickly across blockchains, but for most businesses and consumers the real world still runs on traditional payment networks. People pay with cards, merchants accept Visa and Mastercard, and global commerce still settles largely through those rails.
Stablecoin card issuing connects these systems.
It allows balances held in stablecoins to be used instantly for everyday spending anywhere cards are accepted. Behind the scenes, stablecoins can be converted or settled while the customer experiences a normal card transaction.
This capability unlocks entirely new models for several types of companies.
Digital asset platforms and wallets that want to give their users real‑world spending capabilities.
Fintechs operating globally that want faster and more efficient treasury management while still providing familiar payment instruments.
Marketplaces and creator platforms that want to pay users globally while allowing them to spend funds instantly.
Enterprises operating in multiple markets that want to reduce settlement friction and move value more efficiently across borders.
In short, stablecoin card issuing makes digital assets usable in everyday commerce.
Nium’s trusted infrastructure, now with stablecoin
At Nium, we have spent the last decade building global payments infrastructure.
Today we operate with principal regulatory licenses across major markets. We have deep connectivity into banking systems, payment networks, and local rails across the world.
In 2025 alone, Nium issued more than 38 million Visa and Mastercard credentials globally.
That scale matters.
Stablecoin infrastructure without distribution is interesting technology. Stablecoin infrastructure connected to real‑world payment networks can transform how money actually moves.
What excites us most is bringing these worlds together.
Our platform already connects enterprises, fintechs, banks, and platforms to global payments infrastructure. Stablecoins allow us to introduce a new rail into that ecosystem.
Not as a replacement for existing rails, but as a powerful complement.
Stablecoin card issuing requires regulatory infrastructure, card network connectivity, and global payout and treasury capabilities.
These are exactly the systems we have spent the last decade building.
For digital asset companies, building this infrastructure from scratch would take years. With Nium, they can plug into a platform that already connects digital assets with global payment networks.
A multi-rail future
The future of payments will not be one rail replacing another.
Cards, bank transfers, real‑time payment systems, and stablecoins will coexist.
What businesses will need is infrastructure that allows them to operate across all of these systems seamlessly.
That is the world Nium is building for.
Becoming a stablecoin issuer is a natural extension of that vision.
It allows Nium to offer regulated digital asset infrastructure alongside traditional payment rails, enabling customers to move money across systems more efficiently.
Full circle
In some ways, this moment feels like coming full circle.
The idea we explored back in 2020 was early. The ecosystem wasn’t ready. The banking system wasn’t ready.
Today the conversation has changed.
Banks are leaning in. Institutions are building. Regulators are defining frameworks.
And companies like Nium are in a unique position to connect traditional financial infrastructure with this new digital settlement layer.
The next chapter of money movement is being written now.
We’re excited to help build it.
Want to explore how stablecoins could work for your business? See how Nium is enabling real-world spend through stablecoin-backed card programs.
