Web2.5 and the future of cross-border payments: insights from MetaComp’s Pei Ling Tin
MC
Mirela Ciobanu
08 May 2026 / 5 Min Read
Pei Ling Tin, Co-President of MetaComp, explains how Web2.5 infrastructure and stablecoins can address cost, speed, and trust deficits in cross-border payments.
She outlines why interoperability, compliance, and intelligent risk management are essential to modernising global money movement. Cross-border payments function at scale, but inefficiencies remain deeply embedded in the system. Systems such as SWIFT have enabled trillions of dollars in daily cross-border settlements for decades. ‘If it works, why change it?’ she says some might ask. The answer lies not in failure, but in friction.
Cross-border transactions can cost between 15% and 30% in fees, depending on the number of intermediaries involved. For SMEs, which form the backbone of most economies, these costs can act as barriers to scaling and market expansion. Delays of two to seven days further compound the issue, creating opportunity costs that may exceed the transaction fees themselves.
‘If SMEs do not have access to efficient payment systems, in time and cost, they cannot scale,’ Pei Ling explains. ‘And without scale, they cannot access better systems. It becomes a catch-22.’
The decline in correspondent banking relationships and rising compliance costs add another layer of complexity, particularly for smaller institutions and emerging markets. Meanwhile, geopolitical volatility increases the risk of funds being delayed or caught in transit.
This is where Web2.5 infrastructure comes in.
Rather than replacing traditional finance or fully decentralised Web3 systems, Web2.5 aims to bridge them. The objective is interoperability, connecting the fiat-based Web2 environment with on-chain digital asset ecosystems in a compliant and efficient way.
Pei Ling describes two essential building blocks.
The first is a conversion and settlement engine, called StableX Engine, capable of handling fiat-to-fiat, fiat-to-stablecoin, and stablecoin-to-stablecoin transactions. By integrating conventional rails such as SWIFT alongside stablecoin rails, smart routing technology determines the most time- and cost-efficient path for each transaction.
The second, called VisionX Engine, is a unified risk and compliance engine. While Web2 systems benefit from established regulatory trust, parts of the on-chain ecosystem still face scepticism. Bridging these environments requires end-to-end compliance, including wallet screening, transaction monitoring, and unified AML/CFT risk assessments.
‘You cannot afford silos’, she notes. ‘Gaps between Web2 and Web3 systems can be arbitraged.’
Stablecoins play a central role in this architecture, particularly as regulatory clarity increases globally. While still representing a fraction of the total money supply, their growth trajectory suggests increasing mainstream adoption.
For institutions, the strategic question is not whether traditional rails will disappear - but how they will coexist with new digital settlement mechanisms.
‘The earlier institutions embrace this strategy, the greater the advantage,’ Pei Ling concludes.
In this emerging Web2.5 landscape, the future of cross-border payments lies not in disruption alone, but in building interoperable systems that combine efficiency with trust.
You can watch our conversation with Pei Ling here, and feel free to share your thoughts.
About author
Pei Ling Tin is a strategic partnerships and corporate development leader spanning fintech, public service, and cross-border commerce. As Co-President of MetaComp, Asia's pioneer in unified Web2.5 digital financial solutions, bridging fiat and stablecoin capabilities across payments and treasury management for institutions worldwide, she spearheads the StableX Network, a regulated settlement rail supporting cross-border transactions across 30+ currencies and global markets.
About MetaComp
MetaComp is Asia's pioneer in unified Web2.5 digital financial solutions, bridging fiat and stablecoin capabilities across payments and treasury management on an institutional platform. Licenced by MAS as a Major Payment Institution, MetaComp serves 1,000+ institutional clients across major financial hubs globally. In 2025, the platform processed over USD 10 billion in payment and OTC volume, operating at a monthly run rate exceeding USD 1 billion, and achieved full-year net profitability.
The Paypers is a global hub for market insights, real-time news, expert interviews, and in-depth analyses and resources across payments, fintech, and the digital economy. We deliver reports, webinars, and commentary on key topics, including regulation, real-time payments, cross-border payments and ecommerce, digital identity, payment innovation and infrastructure, Open Banking, Embedded Finance, crypto, fraud and financial crime prevention, and more – all developed in collaboration with industry experts and leaders.
