Stablecoin Transfers Jump 80% as Banks Rethink Their Role at MERGE Madrid

At MERGE Madrid 2026 on Wednesday, bank and crypto executives said financial institutions are expanding beyond crypto trading to build infrastructure for stablecoins and tokenized assets. Speaking at the Palacio de Cibeles, Chainalysis Global Policy Lead Jordan Wain cited an 80% rise in cross-border stablecoin transfers from June 2025 to June 2026, while crypto economic activity totaled about $9.4 trillion, down 1.6% year over year. Executives said trading still generates revenue, but banks are also investing in staking, tokenized deposits and settlement systems. Bit2Me announced authorization to launch STX, a security token offering for tokenizing shares and bonds, initially aimed at medium-sized companies.