Grab and StraitsX Sign Groundbreaking Web3 Wallet Deal, Paving the Way for Unified Stablecoin Payments in Southeast Asia

Quick breakdown:

• Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest super app, has signed an MOU with StraitsX to integrate a Web3 wallet directly into its platform. 
• This partnership aims to enable seamless stablecoin transactions across multiple Asian markets. 
• If adopted, users and merchants could transact with StraitsX’s XSGD and XUSD tokens for real-time, low-fee, cross-border payments. 

Grab and StraitsX partner for Pan-Asian digital payments

Grab has teamed up with StraitsX through a strategic memorandum of understanding to create a unified, Web3-powered settlement layer. This platform will support digital asset wallets, programmable payments with stablecoins, and real-time clearing. The partnership could transform the way people and businesses make transactions across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Source: StraitsX

Under the proposal, Grab’s users could soon hold and spend stablecoins, such as XSGD and XUSD, directly within the app, thereby uniting fragmented payment systems across Southeast Asia via a common blockchain-powered platform. The partnership leverages StraitsX’s regulatory credentials, including its in-principle approval from Singapore’s Monetary Authority and technical infrastructure as a trusted stablecoin issuer. If regulators across Asia approve, this new network could significantly reduce transaction fees and liquidity challenges for merchants, while allowing consumers to access faster and more transparent payments.​

Beyond Pilots: Real-World stablecoin use cases take hold

Grab’s deal with StraitsX shows it’s moving beyond just testing Web3 features and starting to weave them into everyday financial services. While Grab has done blockchain trials before, like teaming up with Circle in 2023 and testing stablecoin top-ups for GrabPay, this new step signals their goal to make digital assets a regular part of how people pay.

The new Web3 wallet will let users handle both fiat and stablecoins, make cross-border payments, and receive money from other Web3 wallets, all right inside the Grab app. For merchants, it offers features like programmable settlements and on-chain treasury management. Experts say if this settlement layer works well, it could set a standard for other platforms in the region and help boost interoperability and financial inclusion across growing Asian markets.

Meanwhile, Mastercard and Thunes have formed a significant partnership , announced in November 2025, to integrate stablecoin wallet payouts into Mastercard Move, their global transfer platform. This collaboration enables banks and payment providers to offer instant, 24/7 cross-border transfers directly to stablecoin wallets, supplementing traditional methods such as cards and bank accounts.