Bloomberg: Stablecoin Flows Could Hit $56.6T by 2030 — USDC Tops Volume, USDT Holds Market Cap Lead
Bloomberg Intelligence projects global stablecoin payment flows may surge to $56.6 trillion by 2030 from roughly $33 trillion in 2025, driven by accelerating institutional adoption, cross-border business use, and demand for dollar exposure in high-inflation or geopolitically unstable regions. New data from Bloomberg and Artemis Analytics shows 2025 stablecoin transaction value rose 72% year-on-year, with $11 trillion processed in Q4 alone. Circle’s USDC led on-chain transaction volume in 2025 (~$18.3T) while Tether’s USDT processed ~$13.3T; together they accounted for over 95% of stablecoin flow. Market caps differ: USDT remains the largest by market value (~$186.9B) versus USDC (~$74.9B). Policy and infrastructure developments are accelerating adoption — regulators in Canada and the UK are advancing frameworks, firms such as Western Union, MoneyGram and Zelle are exploring stablecoin settlement (Western Union on Solana), Barclays invested in Ubyx for clearing infrastructure, Wyoming launched a fiat-backed state stablecoin (FRNT), and JPMorgan plans to expand JPM Coin via Canton Network. For traders, the key takeaways are accelerating payment-driven on-chain volumes, concentration of flows in USDC/USDT, rising institutional and regulatory engagement, and likely increases in liquidity and fiat on/off-ramp activity — factors that may change short-term on-chain volumes and long-term market structure and regulatory scrutiny.
Neutral
The news is neutral for price action of the named stablecoins (USDC and USDT). It signals materially higher payment and transaction volumes and faster institutional and regulatory adoption, which should increase on-chain liquidity and usage for both USDC and USDT. Those trends are supportive of sustained demand for stablecoin rails but do not imply direct upward price pressure on the peg-backed tokens themselves, which are designed to maintain parity with the dollar. Short-term market effects may include higher on-chain activity and volatility in associated trading pairs (e.g., greater flow into altcoin trading or fiat ramps), and transient demand shocks if large settlement flows concentrate. Long-term, broader adoption and improved infrastructure reduce operational risk and could widen utility, making both tokens more central to crypto liquidity and settlement. However, increased regulation and institutional entry could raise compliance costs or restrict certain venues, creating mixed effects. Taken together, these dynamics support usage and market stability rather than a directional price rally for the stablecoins’ nominal values.