Visa, Mastercard slip after WSJ report on retailers exploring own stablecoins

** Shares of payments processors Visa and Mastercard fall 4.7% and 4.3%, respectively, hitting their lowest in more than a month** Walmart , Amazon and Expedia Group are among companies exploring their own stablecoins, the Wall Street Journal reports** Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency designed to avoid the wild volatility seen in tokens like bitcoin ** With prices pegged to a stable asset, they have long been viewed as a viable and low-cost mode of payment, especially for cross-border transactions** Supporters say they can eliminate the need for intermediaries such as Visa and Mastercard, which charge billions in fees every year** KBW analysts say while the reported stablecoins by WMT, AMZN and EXPE would present near-term risks, some fears may be exaggerated** A spokesperson for Mastercard referred Reuters to a previous statement by its chief product officer Jorn Lambert, who had said the company believes "in the potential of stablecoins to streamline payments"** Visa did not respond to a request for comment** Previous initiatives by merchants to bypass Visa and Mastercard have not gained widespread traction - KBW** PayPal shares also fall 4.8%** As of last close, Visa up 17.5% and Mastercard up 11.9%, while PYPL down 12.4% YTD