Bolt Goes Crypto: Stablecoin Payments Launch Sparks Digital Dollar Arms Race in Global Commerce

Bolt just fired the starting pistol in the stablecoin adoption race—and traditional payment rails are scrambling to keep up.

The checkout giant's move to integrate dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies isn't just a feature update—it's a direct challenge to central bank digital currency projects gathering dust in regulatory purgatory.

Marketplaces betting on Bolt's infrastructure now get instant settlements without the FX roulette wheel. No more waiting for SWIFT confirmations that move slower than a blockchain maximalist explaining proof-of-stake at a dinner party.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve's 'digital dollar' slides further into vaporware territory—another case study in how private sector innovation outpaces bureaucratic committees. The real question isn't whether stablecoins will dominate cross-border commerce, but which central bank will be the last to admit it.