Ingenico don join WalletConnect Pay for POS checkout with stablecoin
Ingenico don hook WalletConnect Pay make e enable native stablecoin payments for physical POS terminals for dia global fleet. Customers fit pay directly from WalletConnect-compatible mobile wallets (like MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Safe) using stablecoins like USDC, EURC and USDT. Settlement go route to merchant payment service provider (PSP) and merchants fit choose to collect settlement in stablecoin or fiat; refunds go follow normal merchant process. No new hardware or custodial setup dey needed. WalletConnect Pay dey support multiple chains at launch — Ethereum mainnet, Base, Arbitrum and Polygon — Optimism and Solana dey planned soon. Ingenico talk say about 40 million terminals for 120 countries fit support the feature, but merchant adoption depend on merchants and PSPs to enable am. WalletConnect highlight network of 700+ compatible wallets and mention around $400 billion processed across im network last year. CEO Jess Houlgrave stressed lower fees compared to card networks (especially for cross-border payments) and faster settlement as main benefits. Integration for acquirers and PSPs go roll out January 2026. Fees and conversion terms go negotiate between WalletConnect Pay, Ingenico and PSPs and fit change if merchants convert stablecoins to fiat. Investors and executives signal say demand for stablecoin acceptance for retail dey rise; the rollout na big step toward native crypto payments at scale and fit reduce merchant costs and settlement friction.
Bullish
Dis integration good for di stablecoins wey dem mention (USDC, EURC, USDT) because e really expand di real-world use and payment rails. If dem fit enable native stablecoin checkout for like ~40 million Ingenico terminals (if merchant/PSP opt-in), e go reduce wahala for retail payments, increase on-chain transaction volumes, and show say one major payments provider dey support am. Short-term effects: small until PSPs and merchants turn the feature on and fees/conversion terms set, so adoption go dey gradual and impact on circulating demand fit be modest at first. Medium-to-long-term effects: if more merchants adopt, e fit raise transactional demand for stablecoins, encourage integrations across more chains, and reduce payment processing costs compared to card networks — all good for on-chain activity and stablecoin use. Risks include merchants wey no wan, regulatory scrutiny of stablecoins, and FX/settlement preferences wey fit slow down uptake. Overall, the news strengthen utility story for the named stablecoins and likely net positive for their market demand over time.