Stablecoins Are About to Eat the Payments Industry — Here’s the Data

Stablecoins processed $28 trillion in real economic activity in 2025. A new Chainalysis report projects that number could reach $1.5 quadrillion by 2035. Two forces are driving the shift.

Two macro catalysts — a historic wealth transfer and the mainstreaming of crypto payments — are set to reshape global finance.

The Biggest Wealth Transfer in History

Starting around 2028, Millennials and Gen Z will become the majority of adults in North America and Europe. Nearly half of them already own or have owned crypto, according to a 2025 Gemini survey.

Merrill Lynch estimates up to $100 trillion will pass from Boomers to younger generations by 2048. Unlike their parents, these inheritors are likely to deploy and move capital through crypto rails by default. Chainalysis projects that behavioral shift could add $508 trillion to annual stablecoin volumes by 2035. That is a number larger than today’s entire global cross-border payments market.

The second driver is merchant adoption. When enough stores accept stablecoins, paying with crypto stops being a deliberate choice. It just becomes how you pay. Major retailers and payment processors are already testing stablecoin integration at checkout.

Stablecoin acceptance at the point of sale turns everyday transactions — groceries, rent, subscriptions — into on-chain activity at scale. Chainalysis estimates that shift alone could add $232 trillion to annual volumes by 2035.

Why Big Finance Is Betting on Stablecoin Rails

Based on current trends, stablecoin transactions could match the scale of Visa and Mastercard between 2031 and 2039. Stablecoins settle in seconds, run around the clock, and cut out middlemen. Stripe bought Bridge. Mastercard partnered with BVNK.

For traditional institutions, the calculus is shifting. Those who wait may find themselves settling transactions on someone else’s rails.

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