Paystand launches USDb to capture the $100 trillion B2B market, leveraging a $20B payment network and Bitwage's 90,000-worker payroll corridor for 2026 growth.
Paystand has officially entered the stablecoin market with the launch of USDb, a commercial-grade digital asset designed to capture a portion of the $100 trillion B2B economy. While the broader stablecoin sector has seen transaction volumes reach $33 trillion in 2025—a 72 per cent year-over-year increase—the vast majority of this activity remains concentrated in retail transfers and crypto-native trading. Paystand is positioning USDb as a direct settlement layer for enterprise workflows, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional ERP systems and blockchain-based payment rails.
The fundamental architecture of USDb relies on what the company terms the "Three Bs": Business, Bots, and Bitcoin. By anchoring the stablecoin on Rootstock, Paystand intends to leverage Bitcoin’s proof-of-work security for enterprise finance. This approach contrasts with the Ethereum-centric focus of most existing stablecoins. The integration with the Liquid Network, facilitated through a partnership with Blockstream, and the role of Ibex as the primary minting and liquidity partner, suggests a strategy focused on institutional-grade infrastructure rather than decentralized finance (DeFi) speculation.
For CFOs and treasury managers, the value proposition centers on programmable money that integrates directly into existing ledger systems. As machine-to-machine transactions become more common, USDb is designed to serve as an "always-on" settlement rail for agentic AI systems. This shift toward automated financial decision-making requires a stable, high-throughput asset that can handle cross-border payroll and treasury management without the volatility or settlement delays inherent in legacy banking systems.
Unlike many digital asset launches that face the "cold start" problem of building a user base from scratch, Paystand is deploying USDb into an existing ecosystem. The company has already processed over $20 billion in payment volume across more than one million businesses in the Americas. This pre-existing footprint provides an immediate distribution channel for the new stablecoin. The initial commercial application is focused on cross-border payments, specifically through Bitwage, the blockchain-powered payroll platform acquired by Paystand in November 2025.
This acquisition provides USDb with a ready-made global payment corridor. Bitwage currently services over 90,000 workers and 4,500 businesses across nearly 200 countries. By embedding USDb into this payroll flow, Paystand is attempting to bypass the need for traditional correspondent banking in cross-border settlements. The following table outlines the current reach of the infrastructure supporting this rollout:
| Feature | Capacity / Reach |
|---|---|
| Existing Payment Volume | >$20 Billion |
| Bitwage Worker Base | >90,000 |
| Bitwage Business Base | 4,500 |
| Geographic Reach | ~200 Countries |
The rollout of USDb is phased. During the initial launch, the stablecoin will be restricted to Paystand’s proprietary network. This controlled environment allows for the monitoring of liquidity and settlement efficiency before the asset is exposed to broader external partners. Throughout 2026, the company plans to expand access to a wider range of enterprise customers and additional Bitcoin infrastructure providers. Compatibility with the Lightning Network and Taproot Assets is also a core component of the long-term roadmap, which could significantly lower the cost of micro-payments and high-frequency settlements.
For market participants, the success of USDb will depend on its ability to maintain 1:1 parity with the US dollar while providing enough liquidity to handle large-scale B2B transactions. The reliance on Rootstock and the Liquid Network creates a distinct dependency on the Bitcoin ecosystem’s development. If these networks face congestion or if the liquidity provided by partners like Ibex proves insufficient for large-scale enterprise demand, the adoption curve could flatten. Conversely, if the integration with ERP systems proves seamless, USDb could establish a new standard for crypto market analysis in the B2B sector. The transition from a proprietary network to an open ecosystem in 2026 will be the primary test of whether this model can scale beyond Paystand’s current customer base.
AI-drafted from named sources and checked against AlphaScala publishing rules before release. Direct quotes must match source text, low-information tables are removed, and thinner or higher-risk stories can be held for manual review.