Insights

Why the World is Rushing to Stablecoins: The Incentive Economy Revolution

Jul 2, 2025

Author: Jay Park, Business Advisor

This article was written by Park Jae-hyun, Business Advisor at SOOHO.IO.


The Unstoppable Rise of Stablecoins

When discussing the hottest topics in the digital asset space today, 'stablecoins' undoubtedly take center stage. This is no longer just a niche interest for tech enthusiasts. With related legislation (Lummis-Gillibrand) being discussed in the US Senate, institutional adoption is becoming increasingly visible. Retail giants like Walmart and Amazon, as well as Big Tech companies including Apple and X (formerly Twitter), are actively exploring stablecoin integration. It has reached the point where it would be unusual for global companies NOT to consider stablecoin adoption strategies. Stablecoins are establishing themselves as essential infrastructure for the future digital economy.


(Source: Parafi)



The Disruptive Innovation of Stablecoins: 'Economic Efficiency'


Among the numerous advantages that stablecoins offer, their most fundamental and powerful strength lies in their overwhelming 'economic efficiency'. Transferring value within existing financial systems incurs enormous costs. For instance, international remittances or B2B payments requiring tens of thousands of won in fees and several days of processing time have been accepted as normal.


However, stablecoins completely disrupt this cost structure. According to the attached data, while typical international remittance costs reach approximately $44 (about 60,000 KRW) for the same amount, blockchain-based stablecoin transfers on the Base network cost less than $0.01 (about 14 KRW). This isn't merely a modest cost reduction—it represents a paradigmatic shift that overcomes the physical limitations of finance.


(Source: Blockworks | a16zcrypto)



Awakening Dormant Points: The Innovation of 'Incentive Economy'


My particular focus on stablecoins stems from the revolutionary impact this technology will have on the 'incentive economy'. Currently, most loyalty points and miles from various services we use are trapped within their respective platforms. With difficult monetization and limited usage options, they are essentially 'dead assets'. While projects like 'MiL.k' attempt to integrate various point systems, they still face fundamental limitations.


What changes would occur if we could directly issue 'valuable stablecoins' instead of 'worthless points' or easily exchange them? This would create an entirely new incentive ecosystem that benefits both consumers and businesses in a win-win scenario.



1. Evolution of Reward Programs (Points → Cash)

  • Current: Credit card points have limited usage options and declining value.

  • Future: Receive cashback in stablecoins worth 1 coin = 1 won immediately upon use. This maximizes the perceived value of rewards for consumers, explosively increasing loyalty to that card or service.

  • Example: Chase Sapphire card issuing 'Chase Dollar' stablecoins instead of points


2. Payment Platform Restructuring (Additional Discounts → Direct Rewards)

  • Current: Discount benefits for using specific payment methods.

  • Future: Platforms (e.g., Amazon, Rakuten) introduce their own stablecoins and wallets. When paying with these stablecoins, they immediately provide higher cashback rates, strongly locking customers into the platform ecosystem (Lock-in effect).


3. The End of Gift Cards (One-time Vouchers → Rechargeable Assets)

  • Current: Gift cards are difficult to fully use and easy to forget.

  • Future: Gift stablecoins instead of gift cards, usable freely within platforms. Unused gift card balances can be refunded as stablecoins for use elsewhere.


4. B2B Cost Structure Innovation (Slow Settlement → Efficient Reinvestment)

  • Current: Paying advertising partners or vendors is slow and inefficient.

  • Future: Pay partners in real-time with virtually no fees through stablecoins. The enormous costs and time saved are reinvested into customer acquisition promotions and rewards, creating a virtuous cycle of incentives.


5. Mainstream Participatory Rewards (Surveys/Missions → Immediate Monetization)

  • Current: Points from surveys or app missions are difficult to monetize.

  • Future: Stablecoins are deposited directly into personal wallets immediately upon mission completion. This provides instant gratification for rewards, dramatically increasing platform participation rates.

  • Example: Reward apps like EarnOS that integrate stablecoin wallets


6. Complete Customer Experience (Slow Refunds → Instant Refunds)

  • Current: Online shopping refund processes take days, causing significant customer inconvenience.

  • Future: Purchases made with stablecoins are refunded immediately upon return confirmation. Such swift and reliable experiences become key factors in maximizing customer satisfaction and increasing repurchase rates.

  • Example: E-commerce instant refund service 'Refundid'


Beyond Simple Payments: The Center of Value Innovation


Stablecoins are not merely fast and cheap 'payment technology'. They represent innovation that redefines all 'value exchange' processes between businesses and consumers, including payments, rewards, and refunds. They serve as the core driving force for dismantling existing inefficient incentive structures and building transparent, efficient ecosystems that benefit everyone.


The reason giants like Amazon and Walmart are rushing into this market is clear: companies that first master stablecoins will gain control over future business efficiency and customer experience leadership. The wave of business innovation that stablecoins will bring has only just begun.



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