JD.com Aims for Global Stablecoin Licenses to Revolutionize Cross-Border Payments

JD.com, the Chinese e-commerce giant, is setting its sights on stablecoin licenses in major economies as part of a strategic push to slash the cost and time of cross-border transactions. Founder Richard Liu unveiled the plan during a Beijing press conference, framing it as a cornerstone of the company''s recovery from what he termed "five lost years" of stagnation.

The initiative will debut with business-to-business payments before expanding to consumer use. "We aim to secure stablecoin licenses in all major sovereign currency jurisdictions," Liu declared. The ambition? To enable global payments using JD-issued stablecoins, with projected settlement times under 10 seconds and cost reductions up to 90%.

This fintech pivot marks JD''s latest attempt to reclaim its former dominance in Chinese e-commerce. Once an innovator, the company has struggled with sluggish growth—a narrative the stablecoin venture seeks to rewrite alongside other emerging projects.