More than 140 companies—among them Visa, Stripe, Mastercard, American Express, Coinbase, Ripple, Bybit, and Solana—have joined forces to launch a new stablecoin called Open USD. Scheduled for native rollout on the Solana network in 2026, this collaborative project brings together leading payment networks, crypto exchanges, and blockchain developers for what could become a major development in the stablecoin arena.
A shared ownership model takes center stage
According to the announcement on Tuesday, Open USD will be owned and operated collectively through an independent entity named Open Standard. This structure is designed to move away from a single issuer, enabling a broader, more inclusive management framework that opens the door for wide industry participation.
Zach Abrams, founding CEO of Open Standard, noted several fundamental challenges with current stablecoins at an enterprise level. He pointed out that companies today encounter various fees when minting and redeeming tokens, have restricted access to reserve yields, and rely heavily on the decisions of a single issuer when it comes to product direction.
Zach Abrams, CEO of Open Standard, highlighted that while existing stablecoins bring certain strengths, enterprise users need an open, low-cost, high-capacity, accessible solution with interests aligned across participants for large-scale adoption.
With the Open USD model, member companies will be able to mint and redeem tokens without paying any fees, and there will be no artificial volume caps. Moreover, all income derived from the Open USD reserves will be distributed among the partners rather than kept by a central entity.
Mini glossary: Reserve yield refers to the income generated through the management of cash and similar assets backing a stablecoin. In centralized models, this yield usually stays on one company’s balance sheet, whereas collaborative approaches distribute it among the participants.
Stripe’s backing draws industry attention
Among the boldest demonstrations of support comes from Stripe, which plans to make Open USD its default stablecoin for businesses operating within its system. As a top-tier global digital payment infrastructure provider, Stripe’s endorsement signals a powerful use case for real-world payment applications.
Will Gaybrick, Head of Technology and Business at Stripe, remarked that companies require a stablecoin capable of operating at global and industrial scale, which is why Open USD will become the default stablecoin for businesses on the Stripe platform.
Gaybrick also emphasized that this need extends beyond today’s transaction volume, reflecting future growth in digital payment flows. This vision positions Open USD not merely as a payment tool but as a foundational infrastructure offering for enterprises worldwide.
The stablecoin market keeps expanding
The Open USD announcement comes at a time of rapid growth in the global stablecoin market. According to data from Messari, the total market capitalization of stablecoins has surged to 298 billion dollars.
Carolyn Weinberg, Director of Product and Innovation at BNY, forecasts that the stablecoin market could reach 1.5 trillion dollars by 2030. She argues that Open USD’s neutral governance and shared economics could unlock a new phase of growth for digital assets if the model succeeds.
| Category | Data |
|---|---|
| Number of participating companies | More than 140 |
| Network | Solana |
| Planned launch year | 2026 |
| Stablecoin market cap | 298 billion dollars |
| 2030 projection | 1.5 trillion dollars |
