Stablecoins are rapidly moving from the fringes of the crypto world into the core of global finance. According to a new analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence, payment flows settled via stablecoins could reach as much as $56.6 trillion by 2030. If this scenario materializes, stablecoins would become one of the most significant payment instruments in the modern economy.

Explosive growth from $2.9 trillion to $56 trillion

As recently as 2025, total stablecoin transaction flows amounted to $2.9 trillion. Bloomberg’s projection therefore implies roughly 80% year-over-year growth sustained over a five-year period. The main drivers include growing institutional interest and the expanding use of stablecoins in countries facing inflation, weakened national currencies, or broader financial instability.

In these markets, stablecoins are increasingly used not only as a payment method but also as a store of value — a digital alternative to the U.S. dollar that does not require access to a traditional bank account.

USDT versus USDC different roles within the ecosystem

Bloomberg data shows that Tether, through its stablecoin USDT, continues to dominate the centralized crypto economy (CeFi). USDT is most commonly used for everyday payments, corporate transactions, and as a form of digital savings.

In decentralized finance, however, the USDC stablecoin issued by Circle has gained the upper hand. USDC is the preferred instrument on decentralized platforms, even though DeFi’s overall share of stablecoin transaction volumes declined in 2025.

DeFi loses share but volumes continue to rise

Stablecoin transaction flows grew by 81% year over year in 2025. According to Bloomberg, a larger portion of that volume shifted away from decentralized crypto platforms. The data was provided by analytics firm Artemis, whose co-founder Anthony Yim attributes the shift to growing adoption of dollar-pegged stablecoins in emerging markets.

These economies, he argues, are responding to an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment and are seeking a reliable digital instrument linked to the U.S. dollar.

Notably, despite USDT’s dominance in everyday usage, USDC recorded a higher transaction volume in 2025: $18.3 trillion, compared to $13.3 trillion for USDT. Together, the two stablecoins accounted for more than 95% of a record $33 trillion in total transactions, representing a 72% year-over-year increase.

Market capitalization and future outlook

In terms of market value, USDT remains the clear leader, with a capitalization of $186.9 billion, while USDC stands at $74.9 billion. The overall stablecoin market is currently valued at approximately $312 billion.

In April, the U.S. Department of the Treasury estimated that the stablecoin market could grow to as much as $2 trillion by 2028. If that projection proves accurate, Bloomberg’s outlook for 2030 does not appear overly optimistic.

Governments and institutions accelerate adoption

Growth is not driven solely by markets with unstable currencies. Political and regulatory support in Western economies is also accelerating adoption. After U.S. President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law in July, Canada and the United Kingdom renewed efforts to introduce their own stablecoin regulatory frameworks, which are expected to take effect in 2026 or shortly thereafter.

Institutional adoption is also gaining momentum. Remittance giant Western Union plans to launch a stablecoin-based settlement system on the Solana Blockchain in the first half of 2026. MoneyGram and Zelle are moving in a similar direction, aiming to use stablecoins to enable faster and cheaper cross-border payments.

Stablecoins as a new standard

Just a few years ago, stablecoins were primarily viewed as a technical tool for trading cryptocurrencies. Today, they are increasingly positioning themselves as a bridge between traditional finance and the digital economy.

If expectations from Bloomberg and the U.S. Treasury are fulfilled, stablecoins could become a standard component of the global payments system within a single decade — spanning emerging economies, major banks, and multinational corporations.

Sources:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-08/stablecoin-transactions-rose-to-record-33-trillion-led-by-usdc

https://www.coingecko.com/en/categories/stablecoins

https://cointelegraph.com/news/stablecoin-payment-flows-hit-56-trillion-2030