Stablecoins outperform Visa by more than twice, while Bloomberg says they could reach $56 trillion by 2030

Stablecoin transaction volume reached $33 trillion in 2025, doubling Visa's. Bloomberg projects growth to $56,6 trillion by 2030.

The global financial landscape underwent a radical transformation during the year 2025 as it was confirmed that stablecoins have ceased to be a niche instrument and have become the backbone of modern capital movement. 

The latest data confirms that the volume of transactions handled through stablecoins reached a record high of $33 trillion at the end of last yearThis number not only represents an all-time high for the digital asset sector, but also establishes a new hierarchy in global payments by more than doubling the previous figures. 14,2 trillions of dollars processed by Visa in the same period.

The magnitude of this growth, reflecting a 72% increase year-over-year, validates the thesis that blockchain infrastructure is winning the battle for the efficiency in value settlementWhile traditional systems face limitations in operating hours and higher costs, digital dollar networks have demonstrated a superior capacity to move liquidity on a massive scale. This phenomenon has been largely driven by a regulatory environment that has finally provided the necessary guarantees for the entry of large institutional capital, allowing corporations and banks to integrate these assets into their balance sheets and daily operations with complete legal certainty.

The Genius Act redefined the global map of stablecoins

The main catalyst for this unprecedented expansion lies in the legislative clarity brought about by the approval of the Genius Act In July 2025, the administration of President Donald Trump facilitated an operational framework that eliminated the uncertainty that had held back the industry for years. This legal normalization allowed corporate giants like Standard Chartered, Walmart, and Amazon to begin operating or interacting with stablecoin protocols, validating the technology in the eyes of the mass market. 

Even initiatives like World Liberty Financial took advantage of this context to launch their own digital currency, USD1, quickly integrating into an ecosystem that demanded fully regulated dollar-linked assets.

Within this expanding market, an interesting dynamic has emerged between the two main competitors. Although Tether maintains its market capitalization lead with a valuation of $187.000 billion, it was its competitor that dominated the flow of active money. USDC, issued by Circle, recorded a transaction volume exceeding $18,3 trillion, surpassing USDT's $13,3 trillion. 

According to experts, this difference is explained by the nature of the use of each asset, as USDC has become the preferred tool within decentralized finance and automated lending protocols, where the same digital dollar can change hands hundreds of times in a matter of minutes, raising transaction volume metrics.

On the other hand, the preference for USDT in emerging economies stems from a need for a safe haven against inflation and geopolitical instability. Analysts at Artemis Analytics explain that citizens in regions with volatile local currencies use these digital currencies as de facto savings accounts, prioritizing holding over constant transactions. 

Stablecoins towards 2030: the new infrastructure of global money

The transformation of the global payments system seems to be advancing with its own momentum. The dominance that stablecoins now exert over traditional card networks is emerging as the starting point of a lasting trend. 

Bloomberg Intelligence projects that the volume of payments using these cryptocurrencies will exceed $56,6 trillion by 2030, a figure that would place them on par with interbank clearing and national settlement systems in the United States. If these calculations are accurate, the sector would experience annual growth of nearly 80% in the coming years, solidifying stablecoins as a pillar of the digital economy.

Experts emphasize that the ecosystem needed to sustain this expansion is already taking shape through agreements that blur the lines between traditional banking and crypto innovation. Long-established companies in the remittance business, such as Western Union, will complete the integration of their network with the Solana blockchain in 2026, minimizing the time and cost of international transactions. Similarly, instant payment platforms like Zelle and MoneyGram are also developing their own stablecoin-based solutions, aiming to optimize liquidity management and treasury processes on a global scale.

In this context, the reservations once expressed by organizations such as the International Monetary Fund are beginning to take a back seat to the advance of the market. 

The capital efficiency and transparency offered by these digital assets have prompted countries like Canada and the United Kingdom to accelerate their regulatory frameworks, determined to maintain their relevance in an environment dominated by the digital dollar. The US Treasury estimates that the total market capitalization could reach two trillion dollars by 2028, a figure that confirms the transition of stablecoins from speculation to essential infrastructure for the financial system of the future.