Barclays Backs Ubyx as Banks Race to Control Stablecoin Rails

Ben Graham · Quarta em 17:57

Barclays invested in Ubyx, a U.S.-based clearing firm that connects banks to stablecoins and tokenized deposits. Crypto markets barely moved on the news, but stablecoin volumes already push close to $3 trillion a month, which shows where banks focus their energy. Big institutions now treat blockchain payment rails as plumbing, not a side experiment.

This deal lands as banks face pressure from faster, cheaper crypto payments and clearer rules in the U.S. and Europe. That shift explains why traditional finance now builds on crypto instead of fighting it.

What Did Barclays Actually Invest In?

Ubyx runs a system that helps banks and stablecoin companies send digital money to each other and receive the same value back. You can think of it like a shared payment system that handles stablecoins instead of card payments.

@Barclays has made a strategic investment in Ubyx.

Our mission is to deliver the ubiquitous acceptance of digital money.

Ubyx solves the many-to-many problem faced by issuers, enabling a pluralistic market structure while preserving the singleness of money.

Press release pic.twitter.com/FRgU52zpqM

— Ubyx (@ubyx_) January 7, 2026

Stablecoins are digital tokens that follow normal currencies like the dollar or the euro. People use them to trade, send money, or hold cash online without big price swings. Ubyx makes sure banks can turn those tokens back into regular money using approved routes.

Barclays already connects large parts of the global payment system. Its involvement makes it easier for other banks to use the same setup without building everything from scratch.

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Why Are Banks Rushing Into Stablecoin Infrastructure?

Banks are moving into stablecoins because a huge amount of money already flows through them, and that flow keeps growing. By mid-2025, monthly stablecoin transfers were close to $3 trillion, according to TechRepublic, which puts them in the same range as the payment systems banks already rely on to make money.

At the same time, banks want to stay closely involved in how digital payments work as they evolve. If crypto companies end up running the systems that move digital money, banks risk being pushed into the background, so putting money into these projects early helps them stay part of the process. That thinking helps explain why Barclays chose to back Ubyx rather than waiting on the sidelines.

This approach fits with what other large banks are already doing. UBS and Goldman Sachs are testing their own forms of digital money, all focused on making payments quicker and cheaper while keeping banks involved as things change.

How Does This Affect Everyday Crypto Users?

For regular users, this means it gets easier and cheaper to move between stablecoins and regular money. When banks support stablecoin transfers, cashing out feels more familiar and less of a hassle.

It also builds trust. Banks won’t join unless there are clear rules for how stablecoins get redeemed. That kind of pressure helps draw a line between stablecoins that are properly backed and ones that aren’t. If you’re holding stablecoins, there’s less chance of surprise freezes or tokens losing their value.

That said, it’s still important to be careful. Just because a bank is involved doesn’t mean the risks are gone. Issues with smart contracts or the stablecoin company itself can still cause problems. Bank involvement only helps with the part that connects crypto to regular money.

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What Are the Risks Behind the Headlines?

When banks get involved, rules come along with them, which can lead to transfers being paused, extra account checks, and less privacy than many people expect from crypto.

Crypto has usually felt more open and flexible, but as stablecoins move through bank systems, the experience can start to feel much closer to everyday online banking.

At the same time, competition is picking up across the payments world. SWIFT and other large payment companies are testing their own blockchain-based systems, according to a Reuters report, and not all of these efforts are going to work out as ideas meet real-world limits.

For investors, this is not about a new token launch or a sudden price jump, because this kind of work happens quietly in the background and takes time, even though it shapes how money moves over the long term.

Banks are now focused on who gets to run the systems behind stablecoins. If more institutions follow in Barclays’ footsteps, crypto payments may start to feel less exciting, as often happens when something begins to be used in everyday life. The days of the Wild West in the crypto space could be coming to an end.

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The post Barclays Backs Ubyx as Banks Race to Control Stablecoin Rails appeared first on 99Bitcoins.