Blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis estimates stablecoin volumes could reach as high as $1.5 quadrillion within the next decade, potentially surpassing current estimates of global cross-border payment volumes.
In a Wednesday report, Chainalysis said adjusted stablecoin volume could hit $719 trillion by 2035 through organic growth, up from $28 trillion in 2025. The firm said that number could double to about $1.5 quadrillion by 2035 if two major catalysts occur: the baby-boom generation passing over $100 trillion in wealth to younger, more crypto-native generations, and stablecoins becoming the default payment infrastructure.
“Factor in these catalysts, and our projections change: 2035 volumes could approach $1.5 quadrillion, a figure that would surpass the estimated $1 quadrillion in global cross-border payments today,” Chainalysis said.
The estimate represents a high-end scenario. It would greatly exceed global remittance flows, which Visa estimated at $865 billion in 2023 and $905 billion in 2024, and is larger than World Population Review’s estimate of the total value of all global assets across banks, property and cash — about $662 trillion. Even reaching $719 trillion would require sustained compound annual growth of roughly 133% over the next decade.
Rachael Lucas, a crypto analyst at Australian exchange BTC Markets, called $1.5 quadrillion “a ceiling-case scenario, not a base case,” but said it is possible given accelerating growth. She noted that volume measures how many times money moves, not how much exists, meaning the same dollar can settle dozens of transactions a day.
“The infrastructure is being built right now. Stripe acquiring Bridge, Mastercard partnering with BVNK, these are operational bets, not experiments. Add regulatory clarity from the GENIUS Act, and institutional participation can scale in ways that simply were not possible before,” Lucas added.
“The generational wealth transfer will do the rest. Millennials and Gen Z are the first generations for whom on-chain is a default, not a deliberate choice.”
A January OKX survey found 40% of Gen Z and 36% of millennials in the U.S. plan to increase their crypto activity this year, compared with 11% of boomers. Stablecoins are frequently cited as a major driver of crypto adoption. A September EY-Parthenon report found 13% of financial institutions and corporates globally use stablecoins and 54% of non-users expect to adopt them within 12 months.
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