Catenaa, Thursday, February 26, 2026- Stablecoins are increasingly becoming a tool for everyday loyalty and payments, according to Rain co-founder Charles Yoo-Naut and Uptop co-founder John Gomez, who discussed the trend on The Block’s Layer One podcast.
The conversation highlighted how combining rewards with payment capabilities is emerging as a baseline expectation for digital financial platforms.
Both Rain and Uptop emphasized that stablecoin-based incentives are helping drive adoption in real-world use cases, including sports and intellectual property licensing.
These programs aim to blend onchain infrastructure with user-facing incentives, creating “lifestyle banking” experiences where rewards and spending are closely connected.
The podcast also covered recent acquisitions and fundraising strategies, including Uptop’s integration into larger ecosystems, lessons in M&A, and the role of capital in scaling token-based loyalty programs.
Yoo-Naut and Gomez noted that stablecoins’ predictability and regulatory clarity are helping platforms structure rewards more efficiently while reducing friction for users converting crypto into goods and services.
Looking ahead, the guests projected that stablecoins will see broader issuance over the next three years, with a proliferation of programs targeting niche markets, branded experiences, and partnerships with major entertainment and sports properties.
They argued that the combination of accessible payments, loyalty incentives, and digital assets could redefine consumer engagement and loyalty programs in the financial sector.
