On January 16, news reports that Interactive Brokers, a US brokerage firm, announced the launch of a stablecoin account deposit service for eligible clients, allowing users to deposit funds using USDC around the clock, with plans to support RLUSD and PYUSD in the near future. This move marks a further embrace of stablecoins and blockchain settlement systems at the infrastructure level by traditional brokerages.
According to official disclosures, Interactive Brokers officially launched this feature on January 15, 2026. Clients can transfer stablecoins via blockchain networks, which are automatically converted into USD within minutes by a third-party service provider, ZeroHash, and directly credited to their brokerage account balance. This process bypasses the common issues of slow bank wire transfers, cumbersome procedures, and high fees.
In the initial phase, the service only supports USD Coin deposits. Interactive Brokers stated that support for RLUSD and PayPal USD is expected to be added in the week of January 19, 2026, further expanding the options for stablecoin deposits. ZeroHash will handle on-chain transfers from Ethereum, Solana, and Base networks, completing conversions between stablecoins and USD.
Regarding fee structure, Interactive Brokers explicitly stated that it does not charge any deposit fees. ZeroHash will charge a 0.30% conversion fee for converting stablecoins to USD, with a minimum fee of $1. In comparison, international investors often wait one to three business days for traditional cross-border wire transfers, with each transaction typically costing between $25 and $50, highlighting a significant difference in cost and efficiency.
Interactive Brokers emphasizes that the stablecoin-based deposit model enables near real-time fund availability, unaffected by bank operating hours, weekends, or public holidays. Once funds are credited, clients can immediately participate in trading over 170 global markets, significantly improving account fund turnover efficiency.
CEO Milan Galik stated that the launch of this feature aims to provide clients with faster and more flexible funding solutions to match the nearly continuous trading rhythm of global markets. He also pointed out that clients are not trading cryptocurrencies directly through this feature but are using blockchain networks as a cash deposit channel.
Looking further ahead, this stablecoin deposit service is seen as an important step for Interactive Brokers to integrate digital asset infrastructure into traditional financial operations, reflecting the accelerating practical application value of stablecoins in cross-border settlement and broker fund management fields.
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