StraitsX Pioneers Blockchain-Based Payments in Southeast Asia

StraitsX is a key player in the Southeast Asian digital assets market, with its stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure providing a backbone for financial inclusion.

The company's CEO, Tianwei Liu, spoke at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 about how StraitsX's 'stablecoin sandwich' model allows users to make seamless payments without having to understand the underlying technology. This model involves a front-end that appears like a normal e-wallet, a back-end that looks like a normal bank settlement, and a middle layer powered by blockchain speed and efficiency.

The 'stablecoin sandwich' is used in various partnerships, such as with Grab and Alipay+, allowing users to pay at hawker centers using their home e-wallets. The transactions are settled on-chain in real-time, but the user experience remains unchanged. This model has enabled StraitsX to capture over 70% of the market share in Singapore dollar-pegged stablecoins.

StraitsX is expanding its reach beyond Southeast Asia and partnering with companies like Coins.ph and PDAX to provide instant, low-cost cross-border settlement. The company's use of blockchain rails has reduced costs from 0.5-0.6% to a fraction of a cent, making it possible for digital banks to serve customers with small balances.

Tianwei Liu also discussed the future of payments, mentioning the development of wearable devices such as NFC rings that can be used for transactions without the need for cards or phones. This technology has the potential to further increase financial inclusion in countries like the Philippines, where mobile penetration is high but credit card penetration is low.