Apple, X, and Airbnb among number of Big Tech firms exploring crypto adoption

Apple, X, Airbnb and Google are all holding early conversations with crypto firms about integrating stablecoins, according to sources who spoke to Fortune anonymously. The sources said these firms see stablecoins as a way to lower transaction costs and optimize cross-border payments. Google Cloud has gone furthest, having accepted payments from two customers in PayPal's PYUSD stablecoin, according to Rich Widmann, head of Web3 strategy at Google Cloud. Airbnb's talks have reportedly been ongoing since the start of this year, according to four sources, while Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber is in the "study" phase.