Fragmented regulatory regimes are limiting stablecoin adoption in international trade, according to Juan Marchetti, director of the trade in services and investment division at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The issue is not the technology itself, but the lack of developed regulatory frameworks, Marchetti said during a Monday speech in Geneva at the launch of the WTO’s study on stablecoins in world trade. According to Cointelegraph, Marchetti cited an October 2025 report from the Financial Stability Board showing that only 39%, or 11 out of 28 surveyed jurisdictions, have finalized their stablecoin regulatory frameworks. He added that stablecoins could help address several major friction points in trade finance, but they currently account for only 3% of total international payments because regulatory regimes remain fragmented.
The WTO report identified five areas where stablecoin adoption may reduce friction in international payments: high costs, low speed, limited access, insufficient transparency and foreign exchange limitations. According to Cointelegraph, the report also said stablecoin payments in cross-border transactions grew 35-fold between 2020 and mid-2024. The findings suggest that while stablecoins are gaining traction in international payments, broader adoption in trade will depend heavily on clearer and more consistent regulation across jurisdictions.
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