PhotonPay strengthened its position in financial technology at the 2026 WAVES Summit in Hong Kong, where founder and chief executive Chen was named to the 36Kr “36Under36” entrepreneurs list. The recognition highlights the company’s expanding role in digital commerce infrastructure as stablecoin adoption accelerates globally.
Company recognition reflects growing scale
The 36Kr list included 108 entrepreneurs across artificial intelligence, deep technology, and other emerging sectors. Chen’s inclusion points to PhotonPay’s rapid scaling of its payment infrastructure, which now supports transactions in more than 200 countries and regions and handles over 60 major currencies on a single platform.
PhotonPay operates 14 global hubs with a workforce of more than 500 employees. Its system serves over 200,000 businesses, offering multi-currency banking integration, real-time payouts, foreign exchange conversion, and automated reconciliation within one network.
Addressing inefficiencies in cross-border payments
At the summit, sales vice president Xu highlighted ongoing inefficiencies in global finance, noting that many multi-market organizations continue to face liquidity loss and slow transfers due to fragmented systems. PhotonPay’s approach focuses on multi-currency wallets and unified treasury solutions to streamline these processes.
The company says its platform has reduced capital costs for clients by more than 75% and improved treasury efficiency by 60%. Its operational model emphasizes long-term network development, regional compliance management, and continuous monitoring of market conditions.
Stablecoins move into corporate finance
PhotonPay’s growth comes alongside a broader shift in global finance, where stablecoins are becoming embedded in corporate treasury functions. The total stablecoin market capitalization reached approximately $313 billion in June 2026, with transaction volumes hitting $33 trillion across global networks in 2025.
This expansion addresses longstanding inefficiencies in cross-border payments, a market expected to reach between $193.5 billion and $228.5 billion in 2026 while still carrying average transaction costs above 6% in some cases. Traditional correspondent banking systems have historically slowed transfers and increased costs, creating opportunities for technology-driven alternatives.
Regulation accelerates adoption
Government regulation is playing a key role in legitimizing stablecoin-based systems. The United States GENIUS Act and Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework have established requirements such as full reserve backing, helping position stablecoins as viable payment tools within regulated financial systems.
Adoption is already advancing in workforce payments, with 25% of global businesses using stablecoin payroll systems in 2025 to pay a freelance workforce estimated at 1.57 billion people. Dual-rail platforms that support both fiat and stablecoin payments are increasingly integrated into corporate operations.
Next phase focuses on compliance and automation
PhotonPay plans to expand its regulatory footprint while continuing to integrate programmable finance tools with traditional banking systems. Its model combines stablecoin and fiat networks within a compliance-focused framework designed for global corporate payments.
The next phase of development includes agentic and programmable finance tools aimed at coordinating capital flows in real time and automating financial operations.
At the same time, regulatory oversight is expected to deepen. United States authorities are advancing proposals to classify permitted stablecoin issuers under the Bank Secrecy Act, including requirements for formal customer identification programs. The proposal, published on June 22, 2026, will enter a 60-day public comment period, signaling a continued shift toward bank-level compliance standards across the sector.
Explore how programmable banking meets stablecoins in TradFi—read this detailed TradFi explainer next.
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