Fiserv CMO Shannon Watkins reveals stablecoin plans ahead of Clover Shark Tank Summit

Global payments giant Fiserv is preparing to empower small businesses to accept digital currencies.

Speaking at TheStreet Roundtable discussion moderated by Roundtable publisher and CEO James Heckman, Watkins revealed Fiserv’s vision to bridge the gap between small businesses and the evolving world of digital payments.

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“Financial institutions move money, and the intersection with the small businesses we serve is critical, small businesses are truly the backbone of the global economy,” Watkins said.

“Their [small businesses] success is tied to staying connected to consumers. And as new payment forms come, whether it's crypto or stablecoin or something else, we need small businesses to be in a position where they're adapting and keeping up with the trends that their customers have, not just chasing them.”

Shannon Watkins on empowering small businesses

Shannon Watkins is the Chief Brand Marketing and Communications Officer at Fiserv, leading global brand strategy, communications, and creative direction. She previously served as Global CMO of Jordan Brand at Nike and Chief Brand Officer at Aflac. Watkins has also held key marketing roles at Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, and ConAgra, and is a recognized advocate for diversity in marketing.

She noted the importance of enabling merchants to meet customers where they are, adding, “If consumers want to pay in a currency, we need to be prepared to support those businesses to not only understand it, but accept it and meet them where they are. And tools like Clover, backed by Fiserv’s infrastructure will really help small businesses adapt.”

Clover is a point-of-sale (POS) system developed and operated by Fiserv, designed to help small and medium-sized businesses accept payments, manage sales, and streamline operations.Shannon Watkins at the Featured Session "How America's 33M Small Businesses Can Grow and Prosper" during SXSW Conference & Festivals at the Hilton Austin Downtown on March 10, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Travis P. Ball/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)

New stablecoin plans

The company recently announced it will roll out a new digital asset platform, including the launch of its own stablecoin, FIUSD.

"We announced in June that we are moving forward with new digital asset platform, including our own called FIUSD,” Watkins said. “This is being built at the intersection of really what we call our financial institutions and merchants… we'll have secure, regulated compliant and bank friendly services that can carry this currency wherever consumers are.”

Notably, the stablecoin marketcap has reached $286.28 billion, according to DeFiLlama. USDT (Tether) dominates the market with a 58.99% share.

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When asked how it would ensure the reliability of funds, Watkins said, “Yeah, we're going to definitely do it in a compliant manner and it's going to be backed by all of the great technology that Fiserv offers and that's going to be coming a little bit later this year.”

Story Continues

Launched in 1984, Fiserv is a global fintech giant headquartered in Wisconsin. It powers payments, banking, and POS systems, and is trusted by six million merchants. According to the company’s website, it processes over 25,000 transactions per second.

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Clover and Shark Tank summit to host star-studded lineup in Las Vegas

Fiserv’s Clover and Sony Pictures Television are teaming up for the first-ever Clover and Shark Tank Summit, scheduled from Sep. 28 to Sep. 30, in Las Vegas.

The event will bring together an extraordinary lineup of speakers, including Shark Tank stars like Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, and more. Guest speakers include Gary Vaynerchuk, Tabitha Brown, Rashaun Williams, and poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth, who recently sold her brand for nearly $2 billion. The summit is designed to give entrepreneurs tools, insights, and community support to start, grow, and scale their businesses.

Backed by ADP and media partner Inc., the summit features sessions such as “Master the Pitch,” “Shark-Sized Confidence,” and “Think Like a Shark”, covering everything from capital raising and branding to talent hiring. The event will culminate with a live pitch session judged by the Sharks themselves. Entrepreneurs can also win a chance to attend by applying for an Access Pass at Clover.com.

This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Sep 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Innovation section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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