Stablecoins gain traction as regulation clarifies

Institutions are accelerating tokenization and agentic commerce after GENIUS Act

Following the GENIUS Act, institutions are moving from pilots to scaled roadmaps for tokenization and agentic commerce. The emphasis is enterprise-grade compliance, real-time settlement, and automation across payments and treasury.

As reported by The Great Tokenization Shift 2025, tokenized U.S. Treasuries have crossed the $4 billion threshold, with initiatives involving firms such as BlackRock and Securitize to standardize structures and controls.

Why it matters: compliance, stablecoins, and real-time treasury gains

according to the U.S. Payments Forum, stablecoins and tokenization are becoming core to payments innovation, with settlement pilots underway and institutions anticipating clearer guardrails under frameworks like the GENIUS Act. The report notes expectations that nearly 20% of e-commerce tasks may be handled by AI agents by end-2025, contingent on interoperability and transparent intent capture.

As reported by Cointelegraph, Polymath CEO Vincent Kadar underscores that ownership verification, compliance workflows, and governance are necessary to maintain institutional trust; tokenization without guardrails can introduce operational and legal risk. These controls are emerging as prerequisites for enterprise adoption rather than optional enhancements.

BlackRock has advanced tokenized fund structures, Visa is extending stablecoin-compatible rails, and Citi is embedding tokenization into cash management to align liquidity with real-time business flows. Governance models are being designed to encode provenance, consent, and accountability across participants.

In network strategy, a 2025 interview highlighted Visa’s focus on agent-ready credentials and programmable settlement. “Visa is committed to supporting stablecoin payment rails and enabling trusted credentials so AI agents can act legitimately on users’ behalf,” said Stephen Karpin, President for APAC at Visa.

On treasury usage, tokenization is being applied to funding sweeps and cross-border internal transfers that follow operational cash cycles rather than batch windows, said Stephen Randall, Global Head of Liquidity Management Services at Citi. These deployments aim to shorten settlement times and improve intraday liquidity visibility.

At the time of this writing, Ethereum (ETH) trades near $2,056.39 with very high 18.64% volatility and bearish sentiment, providing neutral context for digital-asset conditions underpinning enterprise pilots.

Controls that unlock safe scale and interoperability

Ownership verification, passkeys, and agent mandates for consent and liability

Financial-grade controls begin with verified ownership and credentialed access. Passkeys reduce phishing risk and bind actions to a user. Explicit agent mandates encode consent parameters and define liability allocation if instructions are exceeded.

Interoperability with Visa payment rails and Citi treasury workflows

Interoperability requires mapping tokenized instruments and agent credentials to existing payment and treasury rails. Visa’s network can carry tokenized credentials, while Citi’s workflows can trigger real-time sweeps, reconciliations, and settlement messaging across entities.

FAQ about tokenization

How does the GENIUS Act shape stablecoin regulation and enterprise adoption?

It signals federal expectations on reserves, disclosures, and supervision for payment-stablecoins, encouraging settlement pilots and treasury trials where compliance, auditability, and redemption assurances are mandatory.

What is agentic commerce, and what controls ensure user consent, security, and liability?

Agentic commerce lets AI agents execute purchases or treasury tasks. Controls include verified ownership, passkeys, and explicit agent mandates that encode consent scope, enforcement, and liability.