Meta Plans H2 2026 Stablecoin Rails with Stripe as AI Spending Hits $125–145B
Meta plans to roll out dollar-pegged stablecoin rails powered by Stripe for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in H2 2026, four years after Libra’s collapse. The company forecasts $125-$145 billion in 2026 capital expenditures driven by record AI infrastructure spending while losses exceed $80 billion in its metaverse division.
1. Stablecoin Relaunch Plans
Meta is preparing to introduce dollar-pegged stablecoin rails via third-party partners like Stripe across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in the second half of 2026. The approach avoids a proprietary token, focuses on USDC creator incentives currently tested in select regions, and aims to lower fees and accelerate cross-border remittances for over 3 billion users.
2. AI and Capex Outlook
Meta’s 2026 capital expenditure forecast of $125-$145 billion is driven almost entirely by AI infrastructure investments on top of existing data center and GPU build-outs. This surge comes as the metaverse division has accumulated over $80 billion in losses since 2020, prompting a strategic pivot toward monetizing payments and finance solutions.