Miami Beach, FL - The crypto industry is settling into a 'barbell' shape, with only two viable uses: speculative trading and stablecoin-based payments. That's according to Dan Romero, go-to-market lead at payments-focused blockchain Tempo.
Speaking at Consensus 2026, Romero said that while markets like Hyperliquid have driven trading volume, stablecoins are quietly powering real-world money flows. Most other projects have failed to find product-market fit, he noted, calling the middle 'a bit of a wasteland.'
Romero previously co-founded the struggling social app Farcaster. Now at Tempo-backed by Stripe and Paradigm-he's focused on stablecoins as enterprise infrastructure. Tempo's blockchain allows features like wallet blocking for compliance, aimed at reducing regulatory risk.
'It's plumbing,' Romero said. 'But enterprises like plumbing if it's better, faster, cheaper.'
Stablecoins are already gaining ground in cross-border payments, like between the U.S. and Mexico. The next wave could come from AI-native startups, which may default to stablecoins for global money movement, just as Stripe simplified online payments years ago.