Stablecoin Payments Set to Explode to $56 Trillion by 2030: Bloomberg
Stablecoin payments could soar to $56.6 trillion by 2030, according to new projections from Bloomberg Intelligence — a level that would cement stablecoins as one of the most influential payment mechanisms in global finance.
Bloomberg estimates that stablecoin flows reached $2.9 trillion in 2025, meaning the sector would need to maintain an 81% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to hit its 2030 target. While ambitious, analysts point to rising institutional participation, clearer regulatory paths, and accelerating adoption in inflation-stricken economies as strong underlying drivers.
Shifting Dynamics Between USDT and USDC
Bloomberg highlighted a deepening divergence between the two market leaders — Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC — which collectively powered more than 95% of 2025’s record $33 trillion in stablecoin transaction volume.
USDT, with its $186.9 billion market cap, remains the dominant choice for everyday usage, business transactions, and savings across centralized finance. Its reach continues to expand in regions facing weakening local currencies and economic instability, according to Artemis co-founder Anthony Yim.
But USDC continues to lead the decentralized finance (DeFi) segment. It recorded $18.3 trillion in transaction volume in 2025, exceeding USDT’s $13.3 trillion. DeFi protocols often prefer USDC due to its regulatory posture, transparency standards, and smart-contract compatibility.
Interestingly, while total stablecoin flows jumped 81% year-on-year, Bloomberg noted a decline in the share of activity occurring on decentralized platforms — a shift driven by the growing use of stablecoins outside the crypto-native frontier.
A Market Positioned for Rapid Expansion
The broader stablecoin market currently sits at $312 billion, but expectations for future growth are escalating. In April, the U.S. Treasury estimated the market could reach $2 trillion by 2028, a forecast that appears increasingly modest as adoption accelerates.
Stablecoin market overview (Source: CoinGecko)
Regulatory clarity is playing a crucial role. Since U.S. President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law in July, both Canada and the U.K. have renewed efforts to implement stablecoin frameworks of their own, signaling a coordinated global movement toward legitimizing digital dollars within traditional finance.
Analysts say regulation will be a catalyst for unlocking new institutional use cases, particularly among corporations and financial entities requiring legal certainty before deploying stablecoins at scale.
Institutions Move Toward On-Chain Settlement
Major financial and payments companies are positioning themselves for a stablecoin-enabled future.
Western Union plans to roll out a stablecoin settlement system on Solana in the first half of 2026, a move expected to dramatically lower remittance costs and accelerate settlement times across its global network. MoneyGram and Zelle are also developing stablecoin-powered pipelines aimed at faster, more efficient cross-border payments.
These initiatives reflect a broader trend: legacy institutions are no longer experimenting with digital assets — they are actively building stablecoin rails as core infrastructure for next-generation payment systems.
Looking Ahead
Even under conservative models, stablecoins are on track to become a central force in global commerce. But if Bloomberg’s $56.6 trillion projection materializes, the next five years could mark a profound transformation in how money moves around the world.
Instead of niche crypto tools, stablecoins could soon become a backbone for remittances, corporate finance, consumer payments and interbank transfers — all executed with the speed and programmability of the internet.
The accelerating convergence of regulation, institutional adoption and emerging-market demand suggests the question is no longer whether stablecoins will reshape global finance, but how rapidly that shift will unfold.
