How CFOs Save $100K+ Monthly on Stablecoins (The European Trick)

European companies have found a fairly simple way to reduce their monthly costs, managing to save over $100,000 per month thanks to the rise of stablecoins. Rather than sticking to traditional international transfer methods, they started moving cross-border payments using EUR-denominated stablecoins.

For over a decade and a half now, some of the greatest strengths of cryptocurrencies have included their borderless nature, low cost of making transactions, immutability of blockchain technology, near-instant payments, and more. Compare that to traditional international transfers, which often cost 1% to 6%, including bank fees, FX spread, and so-called “fast transfer” charges. On top of that, these payments tend to take two to five business days to clear.

Meanwhile, cryptocurrency transfers allow businesses to do the same within minutes, if not seconds, often for less than a dollar, sometimes even just a few cents. One thing that stood in the way was crypto volatility, but with euro-stablecoins, this is no longer a problem. Their value is fixed, equal to 1 EUR per coin, and they are regulated under the MiCA rules. More and more CFOs are treating them as practical tools, rather than crypto experiments.

Stablecoins Are Now a Regulated Treasury Instrument

While stablecoins do not make headlines due to major price surges and crashes, unlike cryptos like Bitcoin, their role in the industry has grown massively over the last few years. Over time, they quietly shifted from experimental use across European businesses to something that CFOs can now use regularly, formalising stablecoin treasury operations.

The turning point was the introduction of Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which has set strict rules for EUR-denominated stablecoins in Europe. According to the new rules, stablecoins must enjoy full backing with high-quality reserves, their issuer must be licensed, and there are caps on large-scale tokens. Of course, they are constantly under EU regulators’ supervision, too.

In other words, MiCA made stablecoins safe for European businesses to use legally, safely, and regularly, while their nature and advantages they offer over traditional systems were more than enough to encourage this.

Under the Trump Administration, the US is showing signs of similar openness toward cryptocurrencies, particularly when it comes to the GENIUS Act, which could introduce similar regulations for USD stablecoins. While they might not see full regulation just yet, the act represents interest in treating them as legitimate financial instruments. This alone is enough for many multinational finance teams to start making plans about using stablecoins moving forward.

Of course, not everyone is pleased with the way things are changing. The ECB, for example, is concerned due to the fact that USD stablecoins make up more than 99% of the global stablecoin market cap. The concerns lie in the possibility of European firms relying too heavily on USD cryptos, thus weakening the euro’s role in international payments. This is why MiCA focuses heavily on euro-backed coins, as Europe wants a native option that its companies can use.

What Are The Stablecoin Advantages Over Traditional Money?

Stablecoins are capable of moving cross-border instantly, and they only cost pennies to send. They can settle without the involvement of banks, which also allows them to avoid delays and bypass off-times and multi-day settlements. For businesses, this means faster payments and far fewer points of failure.

Why EUR-Stablecoins Are a European CFO’s Secret Advantage

The so-called “European Trick” is not some kind of complex scheme - it actually comes down to something very practical. Simply put, using EUR-pegged stablecoins, businesses get to bypass forex fees, slow settlements, and limited banking hours. These are stablecoin advantages over traditional money, and they are well-established.

In other words, instead of paying a bank to convert euros to other currencies, like USD, and then back to EUR during cross-border routes, treasury teams can now move euros to the blockchain directly. They don’t need to change currencies, use multiple banks, or suffer delays due to closing hours, weekends, holidays, and the like.

Plus, they get to save massive amounts by avoiding traditional international transfer costs. On average, these costs tend to be 6.6% of the amount that is being moved, at least when you include the spreads, fees, hidden FX margins, and the like. EUR stablecoin transfers, in comparison, tend to cost under 0.1%, which mostly includes network fees.

And, while EUR payments take 1-3 business days, stablecoin payments are completed in under a minute. This is why coins such as EURC, or even bank-issued euro-based stablecoins, can offer clean alignment with EU regulations, with no USD exposure, which is something that USD stablecoins cannot match.

How CFOs Save $100k-$450k Monthly

As mentioned, European CFOs are not making such massive savings through scheming or clever banking. Instead, they are simply switching payment methods, replacing slow, forex-dependent banking rails with instant, euro-denominated stablecoin transfers.

For companies that handle millions in cross-border payrolls, supplier payments, and other payments within the firm, or even between other companies, removing those 3-7% that go to banks simply for enabling the payments can quickly stack up to six-figure savings.

Consider how much firms lose on cross-border payroll. If a company from one EU country employs multi-region contractors and has to pay €4 million in monthly payments, an average bank transfer cost and currency exchange would amount to 3.8%, or around €152,000 lost per month.

On the other hand, using stablecoins would cost a 0.05% on-chain fee, resulting in €2,000 per month, allowing the firm to save €150,000.

Supplier payments to Asia or Latin America are another example. If a firm has to pay €10 million per month to procure supplies, traditional banking would lead to 2.5% in costs, or €250,000, while stablecoins would amount to only €5,000 per month, letting the firm keep the remaining €245,000, and reinvest them.

Then, there are intercompany transfers, where large, multinational firms regularly have to send funds back and forth between subsidiaries. For example, if a firm has to move €20 million monthly for treasury rebalancing purposes, bank fees and forex would result in 1.9% costs, which is around €380,000. On-chain, however, they could only spend €10,000 and save €370,000.

You can easily calculate the costs for yourself using CFO-grade savings formulas. For example:

• Bank Cost Formula: Bank Cost = Amount x (FX Spread + Transfer Fee)
• Stablecoin cost formula: Stablecoin Cost = Amount x On-Chain Fee (0-5 bps)
• Savings: Savings = Bank Cost - Stablecoin Cost

Overall, firms can save up to 90% in payment costs simply by switching away from traditional banking and embracing euro-based stablecoins, and as a bonus, their settlements would be moved in seconds, rather than days. There would also be other benefits, such as improved transparency and overall visibility, and reduced reconciliation overhead.

What are the key ways CFOs save money with stablecoin?

They cut out bank FX spreads, reduce cross-border transfer fees from several percent to near-zero, and eliminate settlement delays. Stablecoins can also reduce reconciliation workload, since every transaction is timestamped and recorded on the blockchain.

How EUR Stablecoins Unlock Liquidity

When it comes to traditional treasury systems, they work by trapping the cash in slow settlement cycles. The funds, once sent, exist in a sort of limbo for several days, while the banks conduct their checks and transfer protocols to move money across the border or between subsidiaries.

However, this is not the case if you employ treasury management stablecoin inflows strategies. EUR stablecoins cut the wait time to minutes, often even seconds, depending on the speed of the blockchain. As a result, firms can move money almost in real-time, without having to wait for payments to be cleared.

CFOs use programmable money to make these transfers automated, using smart contracts, where they can set up rules that trigger transfers when certain conditions are met, such as when available balances fall below a certain threshold. The result is immediate liquidity caused by programmable treasury.

EUR Stablecoins & MiCA Compliance

EUR stablecoins generally have less regulatory friction than USD ones in Europe. The reason for this is that European regulators finally put rules in place. This is where MiCA regulations come in, as they have set clear requirements for issuers, providing direct rules on how to create and use stablecoins. This moved EUR-based stablecoins from an experimental feature into a standard tool that CFOs can freely use.

The USD stablecoins lack this advantage. Due to their dominance when it comes to the market share, European authorities were concerned about the euro’s influence on the global stage weakening. This is why MiCA rules specifically focus on EUR stablecoins, making them the more attractive option for businesses seeking to start using stablecoins for their operations.

The MiCA compliance checklist includes the following:

• Asset-referenced token compliance: Confirm whether the stablecoin is an asset-referenced token or e-money token under MiCA rules
• EMI licensing: Verify that the token issuer holds a valid EU license
• Treasury audit requirements: Include stablecoin holdings and transactions in internal audits and reporting processes
• Reserve transparency rules: Ensure that the issuer has published clear information on the coin’s reserve backing
• Monthly attestation practices: Reserves must be audited regularly, on a monthly basis, and by a trusted, independent party
• Caps for large-scale tokens: Confirm the token is compliant with MiCA rules and limits designed to prevent systemic risk from large issuers

With that in mind, here is how a MiCA-regulated EUR stablecoins differs from a USD stablecoin and a bank-issued stablecoin.

CFO Use Cases: Real Treasury Scenarios

As regulated and greenlit assets, EUR stablecoins are now finally able to be adopted by companies across the EU and transform their treasury workflows.

CFOs get to use them for a variety of purposes, such as cross-border supplier payments, where instead of waiting for days for a bank transfer accompanied by hidden fees, companies can pay suppliers directly and instantly on-chain. Payments are irreversible, transparent, and predictable, reducing reconciliation issues.

Next, CFOs can also use them for global payroll and contractor payouts, as EU firms can pay contractors across borders using EUR stablecoins. This prevents them from being exposed to the USD, as well. CFOs might also find EUR stablecoins useful when it comes to on-chain reporting for audit, as all transactions leave immutable footprints on the blockchain. Extracting this information from the chain is direct, quick, and simple.

Finally, CFOs can also use EUR stablecoins for intercompany liquidity transfers, meaning that Treasury teams can move money between subsidiaries in real time, and use platforms like Fireblocks for programmable sweeps.

Thanks to their simplicity and directness, stablecoins can be used for vendor payment processes following a simple path: 1) Verify invoice → 2) Trigger EURC transfer → 3) Update ERP → 4) Blockchain transaction logged → 5) Reconcile automatically.

The intercompany treasury ledger also needs only a few pieces of data, including:

Date/From Entity/To Entity/Amount/Reference/Status

For example, here is what an accounting entry for one such transaction might look like:

• Debit: Accounts Payable – Vendor x €100,000
• Credit: EURC Treasury Wallet €100,000

How CFOs Handle EUR Stablecoins

EUR stablecoins are usually treated by CFOs as cash equivalents on corporate balance sheets. However, they are different enough from traditional money that they require additional operational controls, in order to ensure safe treasury management and comply with regulations.

CFOs usually track the current EUR value of stablecoin holdings daily or weekly, which requires information including: Date/Wallet/Stablecoin/Quantity/EUR Value/Notes.

Beyond that, auditors have their own evidence checklist, which includes on-chain transaction export for all payments, proof of reserve from the stablecoin issuer, and documents confirming custody and access controls.

There are also ERP integration controls, which include linking wallet address to internal ledger accounts, automating transaction postings so that manual errors are reduced to a minimum, and validation of settlement confirmations, which is automatic.

Finally, CFOs also need to ensure that wallet custody governance is up to the existing standard, meaning that multi-signature wallets must be used for corporate treasury. Companies also must ensure role-based access control for finance and IT teams, and conduct regular reviews of private key management and recovery processes. Through these practices, CFOs can ensure that the stablecoins are secure, capable of being audited, and fully integrated into the treasury and its operations.

Risk Management: What CFOs Must Watch

Now, an important thing to note is that things change for CFOs once they move real money using stablecoin rails. The efficiency of using the blockchain is undeniable, but new types of risks emerge, as well.

The first thing that most CFOs notice is the peg. In theory, a euro-based stablecoin should always stay equal to 1 EUR. However, things are different in practice, as the crypto market moves constantly, and during major swings, prices can go up or down slightly, even for stablecoins. This is due to heavy redemptions or thin liquidity, and while it is not usually a major change - although it can be in extreme cases - it can be noticeable enough, and it needs to be kept under the watchful eye of the treasury team.

Next, there is the issue of transparency. Transparency is one of the greatest strengths of the crypto industry, but things are different with privately-issued stablecoins. For example, many remember that Tether was fined for misleading disclosures, and CFOs aim to avoid having the same happen to them at all costs. This is why MiCA’s rules matter, as they force issuers to prove they hold the reserves they claim to have.

Still, each issuer is different, and while some will do whatever it takes to prove themselves, others might be more guarded. The treasury team needs to learn to spot which issuer is more reliable and trustworthy, and if they can’t show what backs the coins, companies should stay away from them.

Next, there is the problem of counterparty risk for bank-issued euro tokens. Simply put, bank-issued tokens are only as safe as the bank that stands behind them. If the bank becomes unstable, the same will happen to the coins.

Lastly, there is a matter of accidental USD exposure. This is a common problem for EU firms, which might opt to start with USDC due to its familiarity and the 2nd-largest stablecoin in the industry. It is widely supported and trusted, but it is not EUR-denominated. So, when a euro-denominated firm holds USD stablecoins, they are taking an FX position, whether intentionally or not. Before long, the treasury will have to explain mark-to-market swings that did not exist only a week ago, which is when most CFOs opt to move to EURC or bank-issued euro tokens.

Implementation Blueprint: 30-Day Corporate Rollout Plan

Once a company decides that it wants to implement stablecoins, or at least test their usage as part of its operations, the first 30 days tend to follow a specific series of steps.

It starts with a legal & compliance sign-off, meaning that the firm’s legal team will put everything on hold for a while until it can familiarize itself with MiCA. They must understand not only how stablecoins work, but also what is expected of the company when it chooses to use them. They will also check whether the chosen token counts as an e-money token, discuss matters of reserve with the issuer, and research every attestation they can find.

Once the legal team gets a firm grasp of what can be done, they will provide the Treasury with specific guidance and limitations and give the green light for the next step.

At that point, the treasury and IT will take over the process and choose custody. At this point, they have to address several issues, such as whether to find a custodian or engage in self-custody, who will be responsible for signing transactions, what steps to take if a key is lost, and alike.

Once these matters are resolved and a custodian is selected, the project is no longer theoretical. At this point, half the month has passed ,usually, and it is now time for the new form of money to be plugged into the ERP. Wallets get added to accounts, and automated posting rules are implemented, which is when the company starts conducting its first live tests.

If everything was done right, things are likely to progress smoothly, granting the firm its first insights into how the process looks in practice, its benefits, and alike. However, even if everything goes without complications, it is still too early to expand the pilot, and firms will next have to work on the policies. It is always better to do so sooner rather than later, and the Treasury needs to update its formal policy, adding details such as when stablecoins can be used, which entities are allowed, limitations, approval flows, peg monitoring, and more.

They must also address potential issues, such as what if the peg wobbles or if the custodian goes down. With these preparations, businesses enter the third week, where the team is finally ready to choose a supplier or a contractor corridor and make their first EUR stablecoin payment. This is usually a low-stakes transaction where there is little chance of a major backlash if things go wrong.

Again, if everything is done adequately, the payment should go out and be settled instantly, and the supplier will confirm it in minutes. Treasury will check the custodian logs, and ERP will reconcile the transaction automatically. After that, additional payments will follow with close monitoring of the process to confirm everything is functioning properly, and with that, a pilot report is created and submitted.

With the pilot working, the firm can proceed with preparations for scale. The controls will be tightened, and training will start. This is also when monitoring dashboards will go live, keeping an eye on balances, peg movements, issuer audits, daily valuation data, and finally, by day 30, the treasury will present its findings. Its report will include faster settlements, lower fees, fewer reconciliation issues, and a clean audit trail, with no regulatory issues.

All that is left is for the CFO to approve the scale plan, expand to additional suppliers and other entities, and that’s it - the “European Trick” is no longer a trick, but a standard treasury infrastructure.

Conclusion

European finance teams currently have an advantage when using EUR stablecoins thanks to MiCA, which has created a regulatory zone where stablecoins are not only allowed, but encouraged. The process of implementing and using them is supervised, and the new rules were built for enterprises, helping them shift to a new, more beneficial form of payment.

This clarity grants European firms something that US companies still don’t have - a clean and reliable framework for moving money using blockchain technology. For now, however, EUR stablecoin adoption is still in its early stages, and most CFOs have not yet touched EURC, bank-issued EUR tokens, or programmable treasury flows.

However, this is expected to happen before long, as early adopters are saving significant amounts every month after they adopt stablecoins.

Right now, USD stablecoins dominate the market, but European firms have a chance to build a more modern treasury infrastructure before the rest of the world catches up. Those who move fast will save the most, learn the fastest, and establish processes that others will later copy.