Rich by Coin

As regulation advances and institutions adopt blockchain payments, stablecoins are expanding beyond crypto trading into payments infrastructure. Banks say Visa, Mastercard, and major banks are integrating stablecoins or tokenized deposits into settlement and payments systems. Most activity in dollar-denominated stablecoins is centered on USDT from Tether and USDC from Circle, with about 90% of trading volume occurring in crypto markets. Australian investment bank Macquarie says stablecoins are evolving from niche crypto trading tools into a potential layer of global financial infrastructure.

Stablecoin adoption is making progress in cross-border remittances, but as a means of payment its adoption still has room to grow, offering an attractive total addressable market (TAM) opportunity, according to analysts led by Paul Golding in a Monday report. Transaction activity is accelerating. Banks say the adjusted stablecoin transfer volume could reach about $11 trillion in 2025, suggesting that on-chain dollars have become an important economic instrument not only within the crypto markets but also in some real-world payment paths. The stablecoin market has surged toward $312 billion as banks and card networks increasingly adopt on-chain dollars, according to Macquarie.

While most activity remains in crypto trading, real-world payments and institutional use are expanding. USDT from Tether and USDC from Circle account for the vast majority of activity, approximately 90% of trading volume in the crypto markets, banks say. Banks and payment networks are integrating stablecoins or tokenized deposits into settlement and payments systems, including USDC payments facilitated by major processors, as institutions pilot broader implementations.

Regulator momentum is accelerating the shift, with analysts pointing to frameworks like the GENIUS Act and MiCA as catalysts for wider adoption across cross-border remittance and payments. Macquarie notes that stablecoins are evolving from niche trading tools into a potential layer of global financial infrastructure.