AI Microbusinesses Could Drive $236 Billion in Stablecoin Volume

AI-powered microbusinesses may become a major source of stablecoin transaction growth as the global freelance and gig economy continues to expand, according to Australian crypto exchange Swyftx. In its second-quarter industry report, Swyftx estimated that worldwide gig and freelance payments could reach $2.1 trillion by 2033. AI-native workers are projected to account for $775 billion of that market.

Under its base-case scenario, the exchange expects around $262 billion of payments involving AI-native workers to be settled using stablecoins, assuming an adoption rate of approximately 33%. “We see the vibe-coding and AI economy as a significant potential tailwind for stablecoin use,” Pav Hundal, lead market analyst at Swyftx, told Cointelegraph.

“Adoption doesn’t happen just because the technology exists. It happens when the economics are compelling, and the rules are clear. For stablecoins, both of those conditions are now falling into place.” Stablecoins have doubled in market capitalization over the past two years, while transaction volume reached a record $1.79 trillion in June, highlighting growing demand for their use in payments.

Freelancers seek faster and cheaper transfers

Swyftx said the smallest businesses, particularly those with fewer than five employees, are among the fastest adopters of artificial intelligence. This shift has contributed to the rise of a new group of solo entrepreneurs operating independently across international markets.

These workers frequently send invoices across borders and process payment amounts that traditional banking and payment systems were not designed to handle efficiently. Swyftx estimated that there are currently between six million and 10 million such workers globally, with that figure expected to reach 17 million over the next decade. “A lot of these solo founders are going to be sensitive to remittance and transaction fees. It’s a potentially chunky market for stablecoins,” Hundal said.

The exchange added that broader stablecoin adoption could also create opportunities for institutional providers offering over-the-counter liquidity, custody and yield services to platforms processing these payments. If its projections materialize, Swyftx estimated that this supporting infrastructure could generate as much as $1.3 billion in annual revenue by 2033, based on combined transaction, liquidity and custody costs of 0.5%.

Stablecoins challenge traditional payment systems

Traditional cross-border payment systems often involve high fees, settlement periods lasting several days and limited access in more than 50 countries. According to Swyftx, stablecoin transfers conducted through Ethereum layer-2 networks could reduce fees by between 80% and 90%. In one example, the exchange estimated that an average freelancer could save approximately 86% annually on transfer costs.

AI agents may provide another source of future stablecoin demand. Because autonomous AI systems cannot open conventional bank accounts, they may increasingly rely on crypto assets and stablecoins to make and receive payments.

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-enabled-businesses-freelancers-could-add-262b-in-stablecoin-volumes-swyftx

https://financefeeds.com/swyftx-ai-microbusinesses-262bn-stablecoin-2033/