SMEs back stablecoins for B2B payments, but adoption remains low

By Divya Shah

Almost nine in ten senior finance professionals at internationally active SMEs believe stablecoins could improve cross-border business-to-business (B2B) collections, according to new research from cross-border payments and treasury FinTech Neo. 

The research, From Friction to Flow: How stablecoins could reshape international B2B collections, surveyed 100 corporate treasurers and senior finance professionals across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The findings revealed a significant gap between confidence in stablecoins and their practical adoption. 

While 88% of respondents believe stablecoins could improve international collections, only 27% currently accept stablecoins for customer payments. The research suggests that operational and regulatory challenges continue to slow wider adoption despite growing interest in the technology. 

According to the research, operational complexity was cited as the biggest barrier to adoption by 29% of respondents, followed by regulatory uncertainty (23%), tax reporting requirements (21%) and accounting treatment concerns (18%). 

The findings also indicate strong demand for solutions that simplify the use of digital assets. Nearly 74% of respondents said automatic stablecoin-to-fiat conversion was attractive, rising to 82% in France and 79% in Italy. This suggests businesses are interested in the speed and efficiency benefits of stablecoins but prefer not to hold or manage digital assets directly. 

In June, Neo partnered with digital asset payments provider Triple-A to enable businesses to accept stablecoin payments while automatically converting proceeds into fiat currencies through Neo’s treasury infrastructure. 

Respondents identified faster access to liquidity (29%) and 24/7 settlement (22%) as the most significant benefits associated with stablecoin payments, highlighting their potential to improve working capital management and reduce delays in international transactions. 

The report also found that international collections remain challenging. Around 94% of respondents reported experiencing difficulties when collecting international payments, while 36% said they typically wait at least two business days to receive funds. 

Regional differences were also evident. Eastern Europe was identified as the most difficult region for payment collection by 53% of respondents, followed by Africa (19%), China (17%) and the Middle East (16%). Just 1% cited Western Europe as a challenging region for collections. 

While interest is growing, actual usage remains limited. Only 17% of respondents said they currently use stablecoins for supplier or counterparty payments. 

Laurent Descout, CEO and Co-founder of Neo, said, “There is strong interest in stablecoins among SMEs operating internationally, but relatively few are using them to collect payments. Businesses want faster and more flexible ways to move money across borders without having to manage digital assets themselves.”

Descout further said, “At Neo, we’re focused on making stablecoins part of everyday treasury operations, allowing businesses to benefit from faster, more flexible payment options while continuing to manage their funds through familiar accounts and processes.”

Stablecoins won’t replace traditional currencies, nor will they be the best solution for every transaction. Businesses need access to different payment rails so they can choose the most efficient option depending on the market, currency and payment involved, he added.