Stripe, the financial technology powerhouse, has just unveiled a major expansion to its platform at the annual Stripe Sessions conference in San Francisco. In what represents one of the company's most significant product announcements to date, Stripe is dramatically enhancing its balance functionality to address a critical pain point for businesses worldwide: managing money efficiently after getting paid.
Stripe's Balance: A Complete Business Neobank Powered by Stablecoin
With these latest balance features, Stripe has effectively transformed into a full-featured business neobank - with the added advantage of stablecoin integration.
Core Neobank Functionality, Now in Your Stripe Dashboard
Stripe now offers all the essential features you'd expect from a modern business neobank:
- Multi-Currency Accounts: Store funds in 135+ currencies with no need to immediately convert
- Card Issuance: Spend directly from your balance with Stripe-issued physical and virtual cards
- Global Transfers: Send money to anyone worldwide using just their email address
- Virtual Banking: Receive payments like a local business through virtual accounts
- Financial Management Tools: Track, manage, and optimize your business finances in one place
The Stablecoin Advantage
What sets Stripe apart from traditional neobanks is its pioneering integration of stablecoin technology. The new Stablecoin Financial Accounts allow businesses in 101 countries to:
- Hold dollar-denominated balances using USDC and USDB stablecoins
- Send and receive funds through both traditional fiat rails and crypto networks
- Protect against local currency volatility with stable dollar assets
- Access global financial infrastructure previously unavailable in many regions
- Leverage the Visa network through Bridge integration for worldwide spending
Beyond Conventional Banking
Unlike traditional banks with legacy infrastructure, Stripe's solution offers:
- API-first architecture for seamless integration into your business workflows
- Programmable money movement with the FX Quotes API
- No separate banking relationship required - everything works through your existing Stripe account
- Global accessibility regardless of local banking limitations
- Significantly reduced friction for cross-border commerce
For businesses operating internationally or in regions with unstable currencies, Stripe has effectively created the most accessible global business banking solution on the market - all built on the foundation of stablecoin technology and Stripe's trusted payments infrastructure.
You can now store funds in multiple currencies.
— Stripe (@stripe) May 7, 2025
💱 Convert between currencies instantly
📤 Send and receive money with local account details
💳 Spend from balances with virtual and physical cards pic.twitter.com/WwwuS0RfNT
The Cash Flow Revolution
For the past decade, Stripe has been synonymous with seamless payment processing. However, according to Sophie Sakellariadis, Head of Product for Payment APIs, Money Movement & Storage at Stripe, customers have consistently reported that their "biggest struggle is managing their cash after they get paid." The new suite of features aims to solve this challenge head-on.
The expanded Stripe balance functionality allows businesses to:
1. Store in Multiple Currencies
Businesses can now maintain balances in the currencies their customers pay them in and convert only when necessary. This eliminates the need for immediate transfers to external bank accounts and helps avoid unnecessary foreign exchange fees. The system supports more than 135 currencies, giving businesses unprecedented flexibility in managing international revenue streams.
2. Instant Spending Capability
Perhaps most revolutionary is the ability to spend money directly from a Stripe balance via Stripe-issued cards. This eliminates the traditional waiting period for funds to settle in external bank accounts before becoming usable, dramatically improving cash flow for businesses of all sizes.
3. Email-Based Global Transfers
The new system enables sending money to recipients worldwide using just their email address, significantly simplifying cross-border payments. This feature allows businesses to pay vendors, contractors, and partners with just a few clicks through the Stripe dashboard.
4. Virtual Account Functionality
Businesses can now get paid like locals anywhere through virtual accounts. This means individuals or businesses can send money without relying on slow and expensive international wire transfers, removing a major friction point for global commerce.
Available Today: Three Core Components
Several components of this expanded functionality are already available to users:
Global Payouts
This standalone payouts solution allows businesses to send money to recipients in 58 countries using just an email address. It can be implemented through no-code payouts, hosted forms, or via API integration.
Stablecoin Financial Accounts
In a significant move into the cryptocurrency space, Stripe now offers stablecoin balances where businesses in 101 countries can send and receive funds with both fiat and crypto rails. This service initially supports USDC (from Circle) and USDB (from Bridge, which Stripe acquired in late 2024).
The stablecoin accounts are particularly valuable for businesses in regions with volatile currencies, providing a stable store of value while enabling transactions across both traditional and crypto financial systems.
FX Quotes API
The new FX Quotes API allows businesses to fetch and lock foreign exchange rates for up to 24 hours, eliminating uncertainty from rate fluctuations. Additionally, Stripe's Adaptive Pricing can automatically localize prices based on a customer's location, improving the shopping experience for international customers.
The Future of Money Management
These announcements represent a significant evolution in Stripe's business model, transforming it from primarily a payment processor to a comprehensive financial infrastructure provider. By addressing the critical "post-payment" phase of the transaction lifecycle, Stripe is positioning itself as an end-to-end solution for businesses operating in the increasingly complex global digital economy.
The timing couldn't be better, as businesses worldwide continue to expand their digital operations and cross-border activities. By reducing friction in international money movement and storage, Stripe is not just solving existing problems but enabling new business models that were previously impractical due to financial infrastructure limitations.
For businesses already using Stripe, these new features represent an immediate opportunity to optimize cash flow management, reduce foreign exchange costs, and simplify global operations. For those considering their payment infrastructure options, Stripe's expanded capabilities make a compelling case for choosing a platform that now handles the full lifecycle of money movement.
As the global internet economy continues its rapid expansion, Stripe's latest innovations demonstrate why the company remains at the forefront of financial infrastructure development. The future of money management is here – and it's built into your Stripe balance.
For more information about Stripe's new balance features, visit stripe.com or contact their support team.