OpinionStablecoin
|3 min ReadTransak CEO says stablecoins will fade into the background
Maya Chen
Senior Analyst
Published
Jan 16, 2026
Most brands want the logo front and center. Transak wants the opposite. Co-founder and CEO Sami Start says the Tether-backed payments firm, which has raised $40 million, is building modular APIs that other companies can white label. Users get stablecoin features inside apps they already trust. Many will not even know a stablecoin is moving under the hood. “People know Transak as a ‘buy crypto’ button inside major wallets and other crypto apps,” Start said. “We’re starting to roll out more white-label use cases and stablecoin use cases, where it’s about onboarding and using financial applications, rather than buying crypto to speculate.”
This lines up with a broader shift. Dollar-pegged tokens gained legitimacy this year as the GENIUS Act advanced in the U.S., and big institutions like Citigroup and Bank of America kicked the tires. In consumer apps, stablecoin balances may sit next to cash. Think PayPal’s Venmo tracking a user’s traditional balance alongside PYUSD. Today PYUSD lives on a separate “crypto” page. Tomorrow the line may blur. It is simple. It is convenient. It is what people want.
Regulators and giants push the trend
Washington is moving. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott vowed that a stablecoin bill, the GENIUS Act, will pass both chambers and be signed within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration. If that happens, experts say the industry hits a crossroads. New rivals could arrive from everywhere, including Uber and Meta. Japan is moving too. The financial regulator approved a pilot from MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and Mizuho Bank, with plans to launch by March 2026 after a proof-of-concept trial on joint issuance and compliance.
Enterprises also see revenue. Stablecoin reserves, usually Treasuries and cash, spin off low-risk yield. In the third quarter, Coinbase reported 355 million dollars in revenue tied to Circle’s USDC. Western Union said last month it will roll out its own stablecoin on Solana next year. The playbook is familiar. The tech runs in the background, just like the California DMV’s now-ended blockchain service that used Avalanche without pushing the network’s name to drivers.
The “stablecoin sandwich” Transak wants to serve
Start says the hottest white-label demand sits at the edges where crypto meets traditional finance. He calls it a stablecoin sandwich. Transak can handle Know Your Customer checks for a buyer who pays cash for a stablecoin in one region, then process the redemption to cash for a recipient in another region. Sometimes Transak works only one side. Sometimes both. The key is flexibility. “By making our product slightly more flexible, we just open up a much, much larger market,” he said.
Historically, Transak focused on letting users purchase crypto with cash inside other apps. Now the firm wants to power onboarding and everyday financial flows, not speculation. The brand fades. The rails stay. If the GENIUS Act lands and banks and fintechs keep leaning in, the next stablecoin boom may not look like a boom at all. It will feel like money that simply works. Tremendous for users. Historic for payments. And everybody knows it runs best when you can barely see it.
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.