There’s a silent transformation happening in the boardroom. Financial systems hold the potential to be more accessible – but it takes community, continuity and… crypto?

Globally, the word ‘efficiency’ makes every C-suite sit a little straighter; it’s the golden ticket to productivity, capital gains and happy investors.

The financial services sector has heard the calls loud and clear: payments need to be more efficient.

Systems need to be more efficient. Keith Grose, UK CEO of Coinbase, is actively campaigning for that system to be more efficient with the latest innovation to shake up business payments: crypto. Specifically, stablecoin.

“I am energised by our goal to make Coinbase the number one financial app in the UK.” Keith shares.

“Particularly, this involves shaping the future of financial services at a time of genuine transformation. Crypto and blockchain technology have the potential to make the financial system more accessible, efficient and innovative”.

As part of his mission, Keith unites all corners of the payments sphere to make sure that crypto isn’t overlooked.

“It's exciting to work with policymakers, industry partners and businesses to help turn that potential into reality,” he says. 

The payments process should, and could, be faster

Procurement processes are oftentimes stressful; a tightrope act of managing risk, negotiating sometimes intricate contracts and of course navigating a tight budget.

Additional stress doesn’t need to come from the last tick in the box; payments should be the final hurdle.

A barrier between relief of closure and a sometimes tense task, payments should be quick, simple and easy.

According to recent data from Sage, the cost to the UK economy due to late payments is £11bn (US$14.7bn) each year. Keith notes:

“There is certainly a need for B2B payments across the UK to become more efficient.”

In light of the data, he explains: “Stablecoins offer a much-needed upgrade to this system offering near instant and sub-cent movement of funds with the security and traceability of the blockchain. As adoption grows and the UK’s stablecoin regime takes shape, the country is building out thoughtful and stablecoin-friendly guardrails.”

Regulation of course needs to catch up in order to facilitate a faster alternative.

“The FCA’s recent changes to the proposed framework – including reduced capital requirements for stablecoin issuers – highlights regulators’ proportionate approach aimed at supporting competitiveness without compromising financial stability.” Keith explains.

“If this momentum continues, stablecoins will have real potential to make B2B payments faster, more reliable, and better suited to the needs of modern businesses.” 

There is clearly a demand for a new, efficient way of moving money.

Keith is an active voice on LinkedIn, and considered an expert in the field of stablecoins.

“Consumers all over the world have embraced stablecoins,” he says.

It holds enormous potential for finance leaders to utilise. Coinbase’s Base processed over US$17tn in stablecoin volume, across 17 countries and 26 local currencies in 2025.

With the addition of stablecoin, which is pegged to local currency and just manifests as crypto, more communities have the chance to easily move money across the globe – at speed, and without additional spend.

Keith says: “This trend is only continuing to grow, and we are seeing increasing demand for local currency-denominated stablecoins across Europe and the UK. Earlier this year, we began listing tGBP, the FCA-registered fiat-backed stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the British pound. This expands access to GBP-backed stablecoins for UK customers and businesses, enabling them to benefit from faster, more efficient participation in the growing onchain economy without worrying about conversion rates.”

The real-life cases making stablecoin a payments staple 

Keith notes that stablecoins are “having their ‘iPhone moment’”. Stablecoins are, he says, “no longer just a tool for crypto traders; they are becoming central to the global payments system, offering consumers and businesses faster and more accessible payment methods, all of which traditional methods simply cannot compete with.”

It offers something more accessible than banks, constricted by operating hours, and allows finance teams to settle - not in days - but in seconds.

According to Keith, Coinbase’s recent research with BVNK revealed that already, “27% of stablecoin holders are using them as an everyday payment method, and that 71% of them would like to spend their stablecoins on a debit card”. 

So what could that mean for global businesses?

CFOs listen up: international commerce could be a whole lot easier, unlocking previously non-existent routes.

Keith reveals that Coinbase’s partnership with commerce giant Checkout.com enabled customers to pay with USDC, the world’s largest regulated digital dollar, issued by Circle through Shopify payments.

Merchants are getting paid faster, and in a more accessible manner, boosting the global economy by removing historic blocks.

Global movement starts… at home?

Geography continues to play a strong role in fostering innovation for global leaders alike.

For example, the UK holds pride of place by being a top spot for fintech innovators.

Keith advises: “Ultimately, success won't be determined simply by where a company is headquartered, but by its ability to build trusted products that contribute to the global digital economy. Nevertheless, financial innovation is often driven out of environments that have an established thriving fintech ecosystem, world-class capital markets, globally respected regulators and deep pools of financial and technical talent. These elements set innovators up for success, and we see all of them present in the UK.”

The UK is certainly not short on this, as it has a strong regulatory authority and robust support from government programmes such as the FCA’s Scale-up Unit.

“The UK’s efforts to build out thoughtful regulation could put the country in a position to be a key leader in the crypto space.” Keith notes.

“It’s important that regulators stay in conversation with each other, building out a global framework that makes borders obsolete. The UK has all the ingredients to become the home of the next generation of finance. I’m excited to see how this journey continues.”

A new generation of finance and the global economy is a change welcomed by some, but met with hesitancy by others, especially in certain boardrooms. To them, Keith says: “Stablecoins are still a foreign concept to many people, and that is why they’re hesitant to embrace them. I think it’s important to educate people on the real problems that stablecoins are solving for people and businesses around the globe - faster, cheaper, more accessible payments, particularly in areas where traditional payment methods are outdated and cumbersome.”

Education remains a top priority for leaders to evolve with change, which can happen gradually. It could be here before we know it.

“People don’t need to fully adopt stablecoins overnight, but slowly incorporating them is a great first step in realising their efficiency,” Keith concludes.

“With stablecoins becoming increasingly incorporated into the global financial ecosystem, businesses who begin adopting stablecoins today will be in a much stronger position to transition to a financial world that is built on crypto rails, and where stablecoins are the mainstream payment option.”