Stables, a stablecoin infrastructure platform, announced a strategic partnership with T-0 Network on May 12, 2026, to enhance its USDT settlement capabilities across Asia. Under the agreement, T-0 Network becomes Stables' dedicated settlement partner, providing the liquidity needed to process high-volume transactions across multiple jurisdictions and currency pairs.
Asia's Infrastructure Gap: 60% of Global Stablecoin Flows
Asia accounts for approximately 60% of global stablecoin payment traffic, yet its infrastructure remains highly fragmented. More than 150 local currencies require connectivity, but few local banks are willing to interface with stablecoins. According to Bernardo Bilotta, CEO and Co-founder of Stables, this gap is not an intentional moat by regulators but a consequence of applying 20th-century regulatory frameworks to 21st-century technology. "Regulators weren't designing a moat; they were applying 20th-century regulatory frameworks to infrastructure that didn't exist when those rules were written," said Bilotta. While designed for a world of multi-day settlement risk, these rules effectively create a compliance runway for legacy incumbents.
USDT-First Strategy: Where Institutional Liquidity Lives
Despite the emergence of regulated local stablecoins, Stables remains focused on native orchestration in USDT. Bilotta described this as a recognition of where large-scale institutional liquidity actually resides. "USDT is not a concession; it's an acknowledgment of where institutional-grade liquidity actually lives at scale," he said. "Local stablecoins have made tangible regulatory progress, but progress in compliance frameworks and reach across global settlement corridors are two different things." He added that the distribution problem of local stablecoins is a "maturity curve" issue that takes time to solve. "Infrastructure doesn't pick winners; it routes towards where liquidity is deepest and settlement is fastest. Right now, that's USDT. When local options close the gap, the infrastructure will already be there."
By integrating T-0 Network's specialized settlement layer, Stables aims to eliminate the "liquidity ceilings" that can hinder developers from scaling digital asset flows. "Every corridor we open needs deep, reliable liquidity behind it," said Bilotta. "T-0 Network gives us a robust settlement partner in Asia, meaning our developers can scale with confidence, knowing the infrastructure can keep up with their growth."
Market Context and Risk Mitigation
The partnership comes as the global stablecoin market surpasses $300 billion in total supply. Industry experts point to growing regulatory clarity in the U.S., Europe, UAE, and Singapore as a key driver of institutional adoption. However, shifting USDT between local currencies at scale carries operational risks, including liquidity shortfalls and settlement failures during market volatility. Stables noted that the T-0 Network integration provides the redundancy and depth needed to mitigate these risks for institutional users.
T-0 Co-founder and CEO James Brownlee commented: "Stables has built exactly the kind of infrastructure the stablecoin ecosystem needs in Asia. We're proud to be part of the liquidity layer that ensures it works at scale."
Stables has previously announced partnerships with Mansa and eStable, positioning itself as a coordination platform for global remittance flows. As Asia's stablecoin payment share continues to grow, the Stables–T-0 collaboration marks a significant step in bridging the infrastructure gap for institution-grade settlement.