Streaming money: Stablecoins are redefining real-time payments | Opinion

A term once rooted in music and television is now being redefined in the context of financial markets: streaming. Colloquially synonymous with on-demand content delivery, “streaming” is expanding to mean something more tangible — money that moves continuously, instantly, and with transparency, powered by blockchain rails and stablecoins.

From buffering songs to instant play: How streaming got its start

In the late 1990s, early internet startups began experimenting with the concept of streaming media. Instead of relying on physical media or downloadable files, companies like RealNetworks introduced RealPlayer, a tool that lets users play specific songs or videos over the internet. However, the limitations of dial-up connections and copyright licensing slowed adoption. It wasn’t until broadband infrastructure matured in the mid-2000s that streaming began to take off. With the enhanced infrastructure of the internet, the likes of Spotify and Netflix became ingrained household names, and their growth represents important bellwethers of trends in the consumer economy.

Streaming didn’t just change content delivery — it changed the way value was distributed.

Historically, most financial infrastructure has been built around batch processing and deferred settlement. ACH transfers in the U.S. take 1–3 business days to clear, and even “Same Day ACH” isn’t truly instantaneous. Wire transfers can settle within hours, but they’re costly, manual, and usually restricted to business hours. Meanwhile, apps like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle have built sleek consumer experiences — but under the hood, they still rely on the legacy plumbing of the U.S. banking system.

In short, we’ve been streaming our content for around twenty years. But we’re still downloading our money.

A similar paradigm shift to media streaming is now emerging in the world of finance. Just as Spotify and Netflix redefined media consumption, stablecoins are poised to revolutionize how money moves — not in the future, but right now. 

Banks and regulators need to adapt to this shift or risk irrelevance. The elimination of time delays and expensive middlemen is not just an incremental improvement; it’s the new standard for finance. Programmable digital dollars are smart — they can move seamlessly according to customizable instructions. They will become particularly prescient as we see AI agents automate more back-office flows. Stablecoins will be the currency de guerre of AI down the line.

Stablecoins and the streaming of payroll

Stablecoins are digital tokens, typically pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar, that live on public blockchains. Unlike traditional digital dollars, they can move globally, instantly, and settle with finality. According to CoinMetrics, almost $11 trillion of stablecoin volume moved across public blockchains in 2024.

Let’s consider payroll, one of the most ubiquitous and impactful applications of money movement. In the U.S., most employees are generally paid every two weeks — a lagging custom rooted in decades-old processes and regulatory overhead. But in reality, these workers are extending interest-free loans to their employers in the form of unpaid labor.

To bridge that gap, some companies offer Earned Wage Access (EWA) programs, allowing workers to tap into wages they’ve already earned — but for a fee. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, some EWA providers charge $1–$6 per advance, which adds up quickly for low-wage workers.

What if employees could be paid in real time — even by the second?

With programmable, blockchain-based stablecoins, that’s not just possible — it’s already happening. This concept is already being adopted by decentralized autonomous organizations, remote-first startups, and global teams that need faster, borderless payroll options. It is kicking off the start of a massive sea change in the employer/employee relationship.

The coming Renaissance in finance

Much like streaming changed the media industry forever, blockchain-based payments — and stablecoins specifically — are poised to reshape the movement of money. We’re entering an era where financial services are always-on, where capital is liquid and programmable, and where the 9-to-5 settlement windows no longer define our economic relationships.

It’s no coincidence that the rise of stablecoins coincides with growing dissatisfaction around traditional financial rails. The Real-Time Payments network by The Clearing House and the FedNow system launched by the Federal Reserve are steps in the right direction, but both are U.S.-centric, permissioned, and require bank integration. Stablecoins, by contrast, are global, accessible to anyone with an internet connection. They are open, meaning developers and businesses can build on them without requiring special permissions. They offer fast and final settlement with transactions with no chargeback risk. And they are cost-efficient, significantly reducing fees from middlemen and wires.

As of mid-2025, stablecoins like USD Coin (USDC), Tether (USDT), and emerging native-chain assets are powering a wide array of financial products — from remittances to e-commerce to capital markets.

The concept of streaming money is no longer theoretical. It’s happening now — and it will soon become the default.

Just as no one wants to wait three days to hear a song or watch a show, soon no one will want to wait three days to get paid, settle a trade, or send funds to family. Streaming transformed media. Streaming is now transforming money. And stablecoins are the technology making it all possible.

Megan Knab

Megan Knab is the CEO and founder of Franklin. Megan has more than eight years of experience at the intersection of crypto and finance. Today, Megan serves as the CEO and Founder of Franklin, a platform for businesses to manage their on and off-chain financial operations in one place, to drive the future of payroll services in a web3 world. Prior to creating Franklin, Knab worked at industry-leading companies such as ConsenSys, DriveWealth, and, most recently, Serotonin, a web3 marketing firm and product studio, where she served as Vice President of Finance. Since finding her passion in next-generation finance, Knab has focused on helping businesses scale in the evolving financial landscape to optimize cash flow and ensure fast, reliable, and tax-compliant payroll solutions.