STABLECOIN AFFINITY CARDS

Summary from the TLDR Crypto newsletter

Co-branded cards generate billions for airlines and hotels but remain inaccessible to most brands due to bank balance sheet requirements, underwriting black boxes, and reputation risks. Stablecoin-linked cards eliminate traditional underwriting by letting users pre-fund wallets and spend from collateralized balances, offering two paths: low-risk debit cards monetizing yield on float plus interchange, or collateralized credit where users borrow against yield-bearing assets at higher risk. An emerging provider ecosystem handles custody, key management, vault infrastructure, and regulatory compliance, giving brands unprecedented control over economics and customer experience while breaking free from bank constraints that limited co-branding to Fortune 500 companies.