Last week, there were two noteworthy events. On the surface, they seem independent, but in reality, they are both sending the same signal — stablecoins are gradually penetrating everyday life beyond niche circles.

One is Ctrip's overseas version announcing integration with TripleA, allowing users to book hotels and buy flights directly with stablecoins. The other is traditional brokers like Interactive Brokers beginning to officially support retail clients topping up stock accounts with USDT and USDC.

What is the deeper meaning behind these two events? Think carefully, and you'll realize — travel and investment, these two "most essential needs" scenarios, both opening stablecoin payment channels, mean digital assets are no longer just trading tools but are truly beginning to evolve into infrastructure for daily life.

**The Ambition of Stablecoins, from DeFi to Daily Use**

Looking back a few years, when mentioning stablecoins, most people thought of on-chain activities like lending and liquidity mining. Now? The scene is completely different.

Here are a few recent experiences: booking flights and hotels directly with stablecoins, shopping with US merchants, subscribing to premium versions of ChatGPT and Claude, shopping on Amazon, subscribing to Netflix and YouTube memberships… As these become possible one by one, you suddenly realize a turning point — crypto is no longer a niche game but is gradually becoming usable daily infrastructure.

**Moderate Withdrawals During Market Downturns for Consumption**

There’s also an easily overlooked point. For many crypto users, withdrawing some funds during a market downturn for daily expenses is actually a long-term survival strategy.

Think about it — sometimes, the daily volatility of your account balance is enough to cover a year’s worth of travel expenses or to relocate and reset your mindset. Using stablecoins for global spending, relaxing, stabilizing your mentality, often makes it easier to make rational decisions in the next cycle. This isn’t just about spending; it’s about using changes in lifestyle rhythm to improve psychological resilience.

**Key Points Supporting Stablecoin Payments**

From a practical perspective, products supporting direct stablecoin payments should have these features: stablecoin payments settled at market rates; withdrawals to local bank cards processed instantly with no fees; high compliance, friendly to US-based merchants, no pressure subscribing to various AI tools; simple product design, no need for extra apps; and coverage in regions where overseas Visa is accepted.

Of course, there are some considerations. Small transactions in mainland China may incur some fees, which should be mentally prepared for in advance.

**What a True Payment Product Looks Like**

I’ve always believed that a good crypto payment tool is not just about "being able to spend money." It should allow you to seamlessly use digital assets in daily life while leaving room for future imagination.

If stablecoins are truly to go mainstream, products that are neither cumbersome nor complex, capable of enabling real cross-border convenience in global consumption scenarios, are most likely to become the entry point for most people. From this perspective, we are witnessing the transition of crypto payments from experimental fields into everyday households.