You're innately drawn to things that give you power. That's not philosophy. That's psychology.
When the pandemic hit and bank branches closed, something unexpected happened. People didn't just wait for traditional banking to reopen. They found an alternative that gave them something banks never could: complete transparency over every transaction, accessible anytime, anywhere.
Stablecoins grew 3,000% between 2020 and early 2022. That's not speculation. That's migration.
What Banking's Human Operations Couldn't Handle
Traditional banks are heavily human-operated systems. They capitalize on psychology, sometimes even when you're burdened by fees and delays.
During the pandemic, that human dependency became a vulnerability. International transfers still took 3-5 days while families waited for money to pay hospital bills or buy food.
Stablecoins settled those same transfers in under three minutes. For businesses, that speed increased productivity. For governments, it freed resources to help struggling populations.
For families of overseas workers, it literally saved lives.
The Philippines Proved the Model
The Philippines has a 76% unbanked or underbanked population. When you can't access traditional banking, you find alternatives.
The country received $37.2 billion in remittances in 2023. That money flows to families who need it immediately, not in three days. The government approved PHPC, a peso-pegged stablecoin specifically designed to eliminate conversion fees for overseas workers.
People in ASEAN aren't as wealthy as the West. They wanted certainty that what they were using wouldn't prove to be a scam. Asset-backed stablecoins provided that collateral.
The region didn't completely skip banks. But the migration to modern financial systems took root because it solved real problems traditional banking couldn't.
When Whales Enter, It's Not If But When
In March 2025, President Trump announced a U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets. He wants America to be the crypto capital of the world.
When institutional powers move, the question shifts from possibility to timeline.
Central banks are showing better reception. The private sector is developing and using this asset class. These aren't fringe movements anymore. They're structural shifts in how financial systems operate.
The Euro Parallel You Should Watch
Country alliances have existed for decades. The EU thrives on the Euro as a unified currency.
ASEAN member states could head toward stronger economic growth by co-creating policies stabilized through regional stablecoins. Central banks can have a seat at the table during creation, ensuring representation and upholding values across borders.
That's not speculation about the future. That's an observation of what's already beginning.
Stablecoins are merely tools. They're stores of value and avenues of exchange. What makes them powerful isn't the technology itself.
It's that they give you transparency and access to your financial data without asking permission from a banker. That psychological shift toward power and control is what drove adoption during the pandemic.
And it's what will continue driving the inevitable migration toward newer, innovative financial systems.
About Daniel Zakharov
Daniel Zakharov is the founder of Buburuza, an AI-native financial infrastructure redefining how value moves and manages itself. With a background that spans art, finance, and system design, Daniel began his career helping global collectors and auction houses transfer high-value assets across borders where he saw firsthand how outdated and fragmented financial systems still were.
