Overview
- BPI announced a pilot Friday with Meridian to use stablecoins as a settlement layer that converts inbound foreign payroll and earnings into peso deposits in BPI accounts.
- The initial service targets freelancers, virtual assistants and overseas Filipino workers so recipients get faster access to funds and lower fees compared with multi‑bank correspondent transfers.
- The project runs under coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and requires transparent stablecoin reserves plus consumer protection measures before any wider rollout.
- BPI has not named a specific stablecoin issuer and said broader deployment will depend on the pilot’s technical performance, regulatory approvals and reserve verification.
- If the trial proves reliable BPI plans to expand and demonstrate the model ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit in November 2026 as a bank‑led example for regional on‑chain settlement.