Electronic brokerage giant Interactive Brokers has expanded its cryptocurrency offering, now allowing clients to fund their accounts using stablecoins. This move aims to provide faster and more cost-effective access to global capital markets.
Interactive Brokers announced a collaboration with stablecoin infrastructure provider zerohash. This partnership enables clients to fund their accounts with USD Coin (USDC) on the Ethereum, Solana, or Base blockchains. The deposited stablecoins are automatically converted into U.S. dollars and credited to the client’s brokerage account. The company also plans to add support for Ripple USD (RLUSD) and PayPal USD (PYUSD) in the near future.
This initiative builds upon the firm's previous step in December, when it first allowed retail investors to fund individual brokerage accounts with USDC. Earlier in the year, the company had reportedly considered launching its own stablecoin.
Stablecoins Address Key Market Access Challenges
Interactive Brokers highlighted that stablecoin funding will address a "critical pain point" in accessing global capital markets. Traditional cross-border funding methods, such as fiat wire transfers, can be costly and time-consuming. In contrast, stablecoin funding offers near-instantaneous settlement, reduced costs, and operates without business hour limitations.
Milan Galik, CEO of Interactive Brokers, stated, "Stablecoin funding provides international investors with the speed and flexibility required in today’s markets. Clients can transfer funds and begin trading within minutes, while also reducing transaction costs."
Interactive Brokers initially began offering cryptocurrency services in 2021, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) on its trading platform. The platform has since expanded its crypto offerings, adding several other tokens in 2025, such as Solana (SOL) and XRP (XRP).
Growth and Market Context of Stablecoins
The stablecoin sector has experienced significant growth throughout the past year, with various countries and financial institutions exploring their utility. In October, the stablecoin market capitalization surpassed $300 billion for the first time. This growth was largely driven by major stablecoins like Tether (USDT), USDC, and Ethena Labs’ yield-bearing stablecoin USDe (USDE).
As of Friday, the total stablecoin market capitalization exceeds $310 billion, according to data from DeFi data aggregator DefiLlama. This trend underscores the increasing adoption and importance of stablecoins within the digital asset ecosystem.