SME stablecoin use trails cross-border payment hopes

New research from cross-border payments and treasury fintech Neo points to a sharp divide in how small and medium-sized enterprises view stablecoins. Among senior finance professionals at internationally active SMEs, 88% said the digital assets could improve cross-border business-to-business collections. That suggests strong appetite for faster, more efficient settlement tools.

Actual usage tells a different story. Only 27% of those surveyed currently accept stablecoins for customer payments. That leaves a wide gap between perceived potential and current practice, even among companies whose finance leaders see room for improvement.

The findings matter because SMEs that trade internationally often face delays and friction in cross-border B2B collections. Stablecoins, which are typically designed to track fiat currencies, are often promoted as a way to move value across borders more quickly. The survey indicates finance teams see that promise, even if their payment stacks have not caught up.

For payment providers and treasury platforms, the results point to an adoption opportunity that remains largely untapped. Bridging the divide may require clearer paths to acceptance, settlement, and reconciliation. Until then, stablecoins appear to sit in a familiar place for many SMEs: a promising option that has yet to become routine.