Cash to Crypto: How Stablecoins Are Reshaping Global Treasury Operations

Corporate treasuries are under increasing pressure to respond to a rapidly shifting financial environment marked by inflationary volatility, high interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and evolving digital payment expectations. In response, treasurers are expanding beyond the traditional toolbox of bank deposits, T-bills, and foreign exchange hedging instruments. They're looking towards infrastructure that is programmable, instant, transparent, and interoperable.

At the centre of this shift is the stablecoin. Once viewed as a niche crypto instrument, stablecoins have grown into the cornerstone of digital asset ecosystems. They are now being recognised by regulators, fintechs, enterprises, and institutions as a core infrastructure pillar of modern finance.

And the growth is accelerating. According to Citi, the stablecoin market is expected to increase to $3.7 trillion by 2030, driven by tokenised real-world asset (RWA) settlement, cross-border payments, decentralised finance (DeFi), and increased enterprise adoption.

In this blog, we explore why stablecoins are becoming essential for corporate treasuries and how StraitsX stablecoins like XSGD, XIDR, and XUSD can be used today to enable faster settlement, reduce costs, and unlock new opportunities.

What Are Stablecoins?

Stablecoins are digital tokens that maintain a 1:1 peg to underlying assets such as fiat currencies (like USD, SGD, or IDR), commodities (like gold), or other mechanisms like algorithmic balancing.

There are four main types of stablecoins:

• Fiat-collateralised: These are backed 1:1 by real-world fiat currencies. For every token in circulation, there’s an equivalent amount of money held in reserve, usually by a regulated institution.
  
  
• Commodity-collateralised: Assets like gold, oil, or real estate back these stablecoins. Their value can fluctuate more than fiat-backed stablecoins, depending on the underlying asset.
  
  
• Crypto-collateralised: Backed by other cryptocurrencies, these are usually over-collateralised to account for price swings.
  
  
• Algorithmic: These use smart contracts to control supply and demand. Instead of collateral, they rely on algorithms to maintain price stability. While innovative, this model has proven riskier and more fragile under stress.
  

Fiat-backed stablecoins like XSGD and XUSD are considered the most enterprise-ready, as they are redeemable, transparent, and issued under regulatory-compliant standards. These coins provide the stable foundation necessary for treasuries to transact and innovate with confidence in digital environments.

Stablecoins vs Traditional Instruments: A Treasury Upgrade

Corporate treasuries often rely on fixed deposits, commercial paper, or short-duration bond instruments to manage cash. These vehicles are safe but inflexible, offering limited programmability and no real-time settlement. Stablecoins unlock new efficiencies without sacrificing the need for control, compliance, and stability.

Here’s how stablecoins compare with traditional instruments:

Why Stablecoins Are Becoming Core Financial Infrastructure

Stablecoins are evolving from transactional tools to systemic infrastructure. Increasingly, they are used not just for crypto trading but for real-world use cases like:

• Cross-border trade settlement between suppliers and buyers
• Payroll disbursement for remote workers and contractors
• On-chain treasury management for DAO and Web3-native firms
• Tokenised invoice financing and working capital loans
• Real-time FX hedging for import/export businesses
  

Even central banks and multilateral institutions are taking notice. Projects like the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Project Ubin and Project Orchid are exploring the use of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and the utility of regulated stablecoins and purpose-bound money (PBM) for payment settlement. On the other hand, firms like PayPal and Visa are integrating stablecoins for global settlement.

The implication is that Stablecoins are no longer only a crypto innovation. They are becoming a trusted medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value across digital and traditional finance.

Unlocking Benefits for Corporate Treasuries

1. Real-Time Global Settlement

Stablecoin transfers settle within minutes, even across borders, without the delays of clearing houses or correspondent banks. Corporate treasuries can execute vendor payments, intercompany transfers, or FX settlements instantly, reducing working capital drag and liquidity gaps.

2. Always-On Operations

Stablecoin networks operate 24/7/365. This gives companies the ability to respond to global opportunities in real-time, not just during banking hours.

3. FX Efficiency and On-Chain Swaps

Using platforms like Uniswap or DFX, treasuries can perform transparent, on-chain FX conversions using stablecoin pairs (e.g., XSGD/XUSD, XIDR/XUSD) at competitive rates, often better than traditional banks.

This is especially valuable in volatile markets or emerging economies, where currency access and FX transparency can be limited.

4. Cost Reduction and Automation

By leveraging StraitsX’s Payment and Payout APIs, corporate users can automate inflows and outflows in stablecoins or fiat, reducing operational costs associated with reconciliation, intermediaries, and manual processing.

This enables finance teams to scale operations with leaner headcounts and more predictable cost structures.

5. Transparency and Reduced Settlement Risk

Every transaction involving XSGD, XIDR, or XUSD is publicly verifiable on-chain. Treasury teams can easily verify receipt, audit flows, and ensure counterparties are complying with agreed-upon payment terms, without relying on opaque intermediaries or delayed confirmations.

Leveraging DeFi: A New Yield Frontier

Stablecoins also unlock access to decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols, an emerging segment of capital markets that enables treasuries to earn yield on their idle assets without relying on banks or brokers.

Corporate users can:

• Provide liquidity to automated market makers (AMMs) like Uniswap or Zilswap and earn trading fees
• Lend stablecoins on platforms like Aave, Compound, or our DeFi partners to earn interest
• Stake stablecoins in regulated yield-generating protocols that operate with institutional-grade security
  

These yields range from 4%–15% annually, depending on market demand and risk tolerance. For example, the average yield for DeFi staking and lending platforms in 2025 is 8.2%. In comparison, 2.1% is the average global savings interest rate offered by traditional banks.

While due diligence is essential, the ability to deploy XSGD, XIDR, or XUSD into compliant DeFi protocols opens up an entirely new asset class for corporate cash optimisation.

How to Get Started with StraitsX

Getting started is easy for enterprises, DAOs, or family offices looking to integrate stablecoins into their treasury operations:

1. Create a StraitsX Business Account
   Access our dashboard to get and redeem XSGD and XUSD.
   
   
2. Complete KYC/Onboarding
   Upload the required verification documents for compliance.
   
   
3. Mint Stablecoins
   Fund your account via local bank transfer to mint XSGD 1:1 with fiat.
   
   
4. Store Securely
   Use our partner wallets or manage your non-custodial wallet to retain full ownership.
   
   
5. Deploy in DeFi
   Provide liquidity, earn yield, or swap for other assets via trusted DeFi protocols.
   
   
6. Execute Large Trades
   Tap into deep liquidity via the StraitsX OTC Desk for institutional block trades.

Stablecoins Are the Future of Payment

Stablecoins are no longer optional. They are becoming the connective tissue of global finance. From enabling cross-border payroll and instant FX settlements, offering programmable money that integrates into ERP systems and payment rails, stablecoins are redefining what treasuries can expect from their financial infrastructure.

At StraitsX, we’re committed to building these rails: compliant, scalable, and ready for global adoption. Whether you're a CFO managing multinational liquidity or a digital-native enterprise seeking operational efficiency, stablecoins like XSGD, XIDR, and XUSD can unlock new levels of speed, transparency, and control.

The world is moving towards programmable, borderless money, and it’s already in motion.

Ready to get started? Contact our Commercial team to get assistance in transforming your treasury strategy.