Guillaume Poncin is the Chief Technology Officer of a blockchain developer platform provider headquartered in San Francisco, California.Alchemy. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Recently, I showed Circle's financial data to a Fortune 500 CFO, and her expression changed instantly: Circle earned$1.7 billion in revenue last year by investing USDC (USD Coin) reserves, whileCoinbase earned nearly $1 billion simply by distributing this rapidly rising digital currency。

Together, Circle and Coinbase monetized nearly $2 billion in customer float through U.S. Treasuries—a strategy that applies equally to any business holding customer funds.

After hearing this, the CFO told me, "But we can't touch crypto; compliance will never approve it."

She is wrong, and she is not alone.

In early 2025, U.S. financial regulators dismantled barriers preventing companies from integrating digital assets. In March,the OCC moved first, followed by theFDICand theFederal Reservein April, jointly revoking guidance that required prior approval for crypto activities. The impact extends far beyond banking: any company with robust compliance infrastructure, from payment processors to corporate treasuries, can now integrate digital assets without regulatory pre-approval.

In another pivotal moment for the crypto space, the Senate last month passed a bill aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoin issuance. The legislation, known as the "Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act" (or theGENIUS Act), still awaits House approval. If enacted, it is expected to open the door to broader stablecoin adoption by providing much-needed regulatory clarity.

Digital assets have entered the mainstream business arena. Corporate treasuries sitting on billions in cash reserves can nowearn 4%-5% yields on stablecoins, or issue their own stablecoins to capture even greater revenue.

Companies are missing out every day. Cross-border remittance fees paid by consumer goods companies can be eliminated by stablecoins; software companies pay payment processors a significant percentage of sales, while crypto payment costs are under 1%. Meanwhile, stablecoin issuers are capturing billions through float income—that's why PayPal launched PYUSD, and whystablecoins processed $35 trillion in transaction volume last year, more than double that of Visa.

The infrastructure already exists; companies just need to use it. BlackRock's tokenized money market fundBUIDL, tokenized in partnership with Securitize and custodied by institutions like Anchorage Digital and BitGo, has surpassed $1.7 billion in assets. They didn't build their own blockchain infrastructure—they leveraged existing service providers.

A Practical Framework

Given these trends, here is advice for corporate finance leaders looking to adopt cryptocurrency:

  • Start with treasury optimization. For most CFOs, the entry point is not trading but yield enhancement. U.S. Treasury-backed stablecoins offer institutional-grade security and better returns. Companies can allocate a portion of their cash reserves to regulated stablecoins, earning yield while maintaining liquidity. The pending GENIUS Act will provide even more regulatory clarity for corporate adoption.
  • Evaluate payment infrastructure. Digital assets excel where traditional payments fail: cross-border transactions, 24/7 settlement, and programmable payment logic. Manufacturing companies can settle international supplier payments instantly; SaaS platforms can eliminate currency conversion friction for global customer payments; treasury teams can automate complex payment processes through smart contracts.
  • Explore digital asset revenue streams. For companies with customer-facing platforms, digital asset services represent new revenue sources. Asset managers can offer crypto index products; payment processors can facilitate stablecoin transactions.
  • Bridge decentralized lending. Decentralized finance protocols offer novel approaches to capital markets because they enable lending and borrowing without traditional balance sheet risk. By facilitating access to these protocols, companies can expand offerings while earning fees from facilitated volume.
  • Launch self-custodial wallets. Self-custody technology is foundational to a mature digital asset strategy because it enables fintech companies and institutions to facilitate direct ownership while maintaining control over user experience. The business case for self-custody is clear: after Robinhood announced testing of crypto wallet features in September 2021,the waitlist exceeded one million customers within a month; and Revolut's "Wealth" businessgrew 300% last year, driven by increased crypto trading activity and the launch of its crypto exchange. Wallets are the entry point for capturing liquidity and strengthening user relationships.
  • Deploy dedicated infrastructure. For companies ready to own their infrastructure stack, dedicated blockchains enable unparalleled control over transaction flows, compliance logic, and fee capture.

Risk Management

Adopting digital assets does not mean abandoning risk management principles. Consider partnering with licensed custodians and established infrastructure providers, and implement clear governance policies. Additionally, start with conservative strategies: begin with lower-volatility assets like stablecoins before exploring broader crypto exposure.

The arrival of sensible and clear regulation presents a unique opportunity for corporate finance departments to demonstrate leadership by leveraging the efficiency and accessibility of digital assets. The guardrails haven't disappeared—they have evolved to embrace the earning potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.