Interactive Brokers Stablecoin Funding Explained: USDC, Ripple RLUSD, and the Future of 24/7 Trading
Interactive Brokers now supports 24/7 account funding with USDC, with Ripple RLUSD and PayPal PYUSD coming soon. Here’s how stablecoins are reshaping brokerage trading.
Why Interactive Brokers’ Stablecoin Move Matters
Interactive Brokers’ decision to enable 24/7 account funding using stablecoins marks a structural shift in how traditional brokerages operate. By allowing clients to fund accounts with USDC — and soon Ripple’s RLUSD and PayPal’s PYUSD — the firm is moving closer to real-time, always-on financial infrastructure.
This is not simply a product upgrade. It reflects a broader transformation underway across global capital markets, where stablecoins are emerging as the settlement layer bridging traditional finance and blockchain-based payments.
What Is 24/7 Funding at Interactive Brokers?
Traditionally, brokerage account funding relies on bank wires, ACH transfers, or local payment rails. These systems are:
- Limited by banking hours
- Slower for cross-border investors
- Inefficient during periods of market volatility
With stablecoin funding, Interactive Brokers clients can now deposit value any time of day, including weekends and holidays, and begin trading within minutes rather than days.
This feature effectively removes one of the last structural disadvantages that traditional brokerages faced compared to crypto-native exchanges.
How USDC Deposits Work in Practice
Under the new model, eligible clients can send** **USDC, a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle, from their personal crypto wallet to a secure wallet generated by Interactive Brokers’ infrastructure partner, Zerohash.
Key characteristics of the process:
- Supported networks include Ethereum, Solana, and Base
- Deposited USDC is automatically converted into U.S. dollars
- Funds are credited to brokerage accounts shortly after confirmation
- Trading access is unlocked almost immediately
Unlike crypto exchanges, clients are not trading with USDC itself. The stablecoin acts purely as a funding rail, not a speculative asset.
The Role of Zerohash in Stablecoin Brokerage Infrastructure
Zerohash provides the underlying compliance, custody, and conversion layer that makes stablecoin funding viable for regulated brokerages.
As a B2B crypto infrastructure provider — and an Interactive Brokers–backed company — Zerohash enables:
- On-chain wallet generation
- Stablecoin-to-fiat conversion
- Regulatory compliance and transaction monitoring
Zerohash charges a conversion fee of 0.30% per deposit, with a $1 minimum, in addition to standard blockchain network fees. Interactive Brokers itself does not impose deposit fees.
This infrastructure-first approach highlights an important trend: brokerages are outsourcing blockchain complexity while retaining client relationships.
Why Ripple RLUSD and PayPal PYUSD Are the Next Step
The planned rollout of Ripple’s RLUSD and PayPal’s PYUSD expands Interactive Brokers’ stablecoin strategy beyond USDC and signals a deliberate move toward issuer diversification.
Each stablecoin brings a distinct strategic dimension:
- Ripple RLUSD aligns with enterprise payments, cross-border settlement, and institutional-grade compliance
- PayPal PYUSD connects brokerage funding with one of the world’s largest consumer fintech ecosystems
Supporting multiple regulated stablecoins reduces reliance on a single issuer and increases flexibility for international investors navigating different regulatory environments.
Stablecoins as the New Brokerage Funding Rail
Stablecoins are increasingly being viewed not as crypto assets, but as digital cash equivalents optimized for internet-native finance.
For brokerage platforms, stablecoins offer:
- Continuous settlement availability
- Lower friction for global clients
- Faster capital deployment during volatile markets
- Reduced operational dependency on legacy banking hours
As a result, stablecoins are becoming the preferred bridge between traditional markets and decentralized financial infrastructure.
Interactive Brokers’ Long-Term Crypto Strategy
Interactive Brokers has been steadily expanding its digital asset footprint for several years.
Key milestones include:
- Launch of crypto trading and custody in 2021
- Initial support for BTC, ETH, LTC, and BCH
- Expansion to SOL, ADA, XRP, and DOGE
- Exploration of a potential native stablecoin
Stablecoin funding fits naturally into this progression, positioning Interactive Brokers as a hybrid platform capable of serving both traditional and crypto-native investors.
Market Impact and Competitive Implications
The announcement of 24/7 stablecoin funding was met with a positive market reaction, with Interactive Brokers’ stock reaching new highs shortly after.
From a competitive standpoint, the move narrows the gap between regulated brokerages and crypto exchanges, particularly in terms of speed and accessibility.
For clients, it introduces a compelling alternative: institutional-grade markets with crypto-native funding efficiency.
What This Means for the Future of Trading
Interactive Brokers’ adoption of stablecoin funding reflects a broader industry consensus:the future of trading is continuous, global, and digitally native.
As more brokerages integrate stablecoins for settlement and funding, the distinction between “crypto platforms” and “traditional finance” will continue to blur.
Support for USDC today — and Ripple RLUSD and PayPal PYUSD tomorrow — suggests that stablecoins are no longer experimental tools. They are becoming core infrastructure for modern financial markets.
Final Thoughts
Interactive Brokers’ stablecoin initiative is best understood not as a reaction to crypto trends, but as a forward-looking infrastructure upgrade. By embracing 24/7 USDC funding and expanding into Ripple and PayPal stablecoins, the firm is aligning itself with the direction global finance is already moving.
For investors, traders, and institutions alike, this shift signals one thing clearly:stablecoins are becoming the default rails for capital movement in the digital age.