Key Insights:
- Coinbase has launched a new full-stack USDC payment solution called Coinbase Payments for e-commerce platforms.
- This payment stack, built on Base includes Stablecoin Checkout, an E-Commerce Engine and a Commerce Payments Protocol.
- Shopify has already integrated Coinbase’s USDC payment stack for early-access merchants.
Coinbase has taken another major step towards mainstream stablecoin adoption with its launch of a new full-stack USDC payment solution.
The platform has also announced a major partnership that will allow USDC to be used as collateral in the U.S. futures market. These moves position the crypto exchange not only as a trading platform, but also as one of the largest players in the next era of digital finance.
From e-commerce to derivatives, Coinbase is making it clear that it sees USDC as more than a stablecoin. USDC is the gold standard for both cross-border payments and financial infrastructure.
Building a Seamless USDC Payment Stack
Coinbase officially launched its Coinbase Payments platform on June 18. This payment system is built around USDC and is designed to allow easy integration of stablecoin payments for any commerce platform around the world.
NEW: COINBASE INTRODUCES COINBASE PAYMENTS FOR COMMERCE PLATFORMS pic.twitter.com/hc0oSvRFwe
— DEGEN NEWS (@DegenerateNews) June 18, 2025
What’s more, it also does this without requiring them to maintain their own blockchain systems.
The stack is made up of three major layers, including the Stablecoin Checkout, which allows customers to pay in USDC using popular wallets like MetaMask, Phantom and Coinbase Wallet, completely gas-free.
The E-Commerce Engine serves as the middle layer and the API backbone. It provides tools for authorization, refunds, recurring billing, ledgering and more. This means that it allows merchants to manage USDC payments more easily, without necessarily having to employ blockchain developers.
The Final layer is the Commerce payments protocol, which serves as the foundation of the stack. This protocol executes secure smart contract settlements using Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 blockchain.
The entire goal of these moves is to make stablecoin payments so simple that merchants can integrate them just as easily as credit card payments: Just with lower fees and better reach.
Shopify Goes Live with USDC Checkout
Coinbase’s system is already being used in the real world. As earlier reported by Live Bitcoin News, Shopify, one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms, recently integrated the new USDC payment stack for a group of early-access merchants. This stands as one of the first retail-scale deployments of USDC.
Customers simply pay in USDC, Shopify converts the stablecoin into fiat for merchants who prefer cash payouts, and merchants who want to keep USDC can opt to hold it instead.
Shopify will enable USDC (Stablecoins on @Base) in Checkout via Shopify Payments and Shop Pay. Early access starts today, roll out throughout the year.
We think that stablecoins are a natural way to transact on the Internet and worked with coinbase to develop the commerce… pic.twitter.com/o6jme8kSha
— tobi lutke (@tobi) June 12, 2025
To make the experience even more appealing, Shopify plans to offer a 1% cashback incentive to shoppers who use USDC at checkout. This kind of consumer incentive could improve adoption by encouraging real-world usage of crypto.
Stripe, another major payment infrastructure provider, worked with Coinbase to simplify the crypto logic behind the scenes. This means that it is working on allowing merchants to stay focused on selling, not on understanding blockchain.
USDC Heads to the U.S. Derivatives Market
While USDC adoption in commerce is a big step, Coinbase is also pushing forward with the U.S.-regulated financial markets, which is another front on its own. The company has partnered with Nodal Clear, a derivatives clearing organization, to integrate USDC as eligible collateral for futures trading in the U.S.
The agreement is set to take effect in 2026, pending approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Currently, most clearinghouses only accept fiat currencies for collateral. However, by allowing USDC to be used, Coinbase aims to unlock faster settlement times, improve margin efficiency, and provide institutional traders with more flexibility.
This collaboration is designed to make USDC a first-class financial instrument, not just another payment method. It will also bring more liquidity into the stablecoin space, especially from institutional players who want real-time settlement and programmable finance tools.
