Why is there no recourse when my stablecoin payment goes wrong?

Stablecoin transfers are final by design, which removes friendly fraud but also removes every protection consumers depend on under Regulation E and Regulation Z. There is no 60-day dispute window, no chargeback mechanism, and no scheme rule that forces a refund for undelivered goods or an unauthorized transfer. The CFPB withdrew its proposal to extend Reg E protections to on-chain payments in May 2025, leaving no federal floor. Circle shipped a Refund Protocol in 2025 as an opt-in escrow layer, but it requires both parties to route through the same contract at checkout, so merchant adoption remains minimal. The GENIUS Act consumer protection provisions are not effective until at least January 2027, meaning the gap is live right now as merchant acceptance accelerates.