New Era

DeFi

Boom

Rise

Trillion

<p>According to new data highlighted by a16z crypto, stablecoins have reached an unprecedented milestone, processing an estimated $46 trillion in transaction volume over the past 12 months. That figure officially places stablecoins ahead of Visa ($16 trillion) and within striking distance of the U.S. Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, which handled $87 trillion during the same period.</p> 
<p>This marks one of the clearest signs yet that blockchain-based money transfers are scaling to the level of traditional finance, rivaling some of the world’s largest payment systems by volume.</p> 
<h2 id="stablecoins-reach-institutional-payment-scale">Stablecoins Reach Institutional Payment Scale</h2> 
<p>The a16z analysis shows that even when transaction data is “adjusted” to remove artificial or high-frequency on-chain activity, stablecoins still processed around $9 trillion, a figure comparable to the annual throughput of entire national banking systems.</p> 
<p>By contrast, PayPal processed $1.7 trillion, underscoring how blockchain settlement layers are moving well beyond retail payments and becoming a foundation for institutional money flows, remittances, and DeFi operations.</p> 
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-296927" src="https://www.ethnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/G4EQddrWEAAPTEN.jpeg" alt="Stablecoins" width="720" height="405"></p> 
<h2 id="the-rise-of-blockchain-settlement-infrastructure">The Rise of Blockchain Settlement Infrastructure</h2> 
<p>Stablecoins, primarily USDT, USDC, DAI, and PYUSD, are now functioning as global settlement rails as <strong><a href="https://www.ethnews.com/global-crypto-adoption-soars-125-as-stablecoins-and-retail-users-redefine-finance-in-2025/">global adoption soars</a></strong>, especially across decentralized finance, centralized exchanges, and cross-border commerce. Their transparency, programmability, and near-instant finality have made them the preferred medium for dollar-denominated transfers in crypto markets.</p> 
<p>Analysts note that the $46 trillion figure represents more than just speculative activity. With the expansion of tokenized treasuries, on-chain FX settlements, and corporate integrations, stablecoins are increasingly being used as wholesale payment infrastructure, bridging the gap between traditional banking systems and the decentralized economy.</p>  
<div class="read-more tdi_7"> 
 <div class="td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack td-cpt-post td-module-exclusive"> 
  <div class="td-module-container"> 
   <div class="td-image-container"> 
    <div class="td-module-thumb"> <a class="article row text-decoration-none" href="https://www.ethnews.com/crypto-miners-rally-as-oracles-multibillion-ai-deal-ignites-high-performance-computing-boom/" title="Crypto Miners Rally as Oracle’s Multibillion AI Deal Ignites High-Performance Computing Boom"> <span class="td-image-wrap" style="background-image: url(https://www.ethnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/u-s-bitcoin-mining-hardware-market-surges-as-miners-cut-tariff-costs-and-secure-local-asic-supply.png); background-size:cover;"></span> </a> 
    </div> 
   </div> 
   <div class="td-module-meta-info"> 
    <h3 class="entry-title td-module-title" id="a-href-https-www-ethnews-com-crypto-miners-rally-as-oracles-multibillion-ai-deal-ignites-high-performance-computing-boom-title-crypto-miners-rally-as-oracle-s-multibillion-ai-deal-ignites-high-performance-computing-boom-crypto-miners-rally-as-oracle-s-multibillion-ai-deal-ignites-high-performance-computing-boom-a"> <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/crypto-miners-rally-as-oracles-multibillion-ai-deal-ignites-high-performance-computing-boom/" title="Crypto Miners Rally as Oracle’s Multibillion AI Deal Ignites High-Performance Computing Boom">Crypto Miners Rally as Oracle’s Multibillion AI Deal Ignites High-Performance Computing Boom</a> </h3> 
   </div> 
  </div> 
 </div> 
</div> 
<h2 id="a-new-era-of-global-payments">A New Era of Global Payments</h2> 
<p>The data underscores how blockchain networks are rapidly evolving from experimental fintech tools into core components of the global financial system. Stablecoins now rival Visa, Mastercard, and even ACH in scale, without relying on traditional intermediaries or regional restrictions.</p> 
<p>As governments continue to debate central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the private sector’s stablecoin adoption curve may already be proving that the future of money is programmable, borderless, and on-chain.</p> 
<p>If current growth trends persist, stablecoins could overtake ACH volumes within the next two years — cementing blockchain’s role not just as an asset class, but as a global payments backbone.</p> 
<p>The post <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/stablecoins-surpass-visa-with-46-trillion-in-annual-transactions/">Stablecoins Surpass Visa with $46 Trillion in Annual Transactions</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ethnews.com">ETHNews</a>.</p>

Stablecoins Surpass Visa with $46 Trillion in Annual Transactions

Table of Contents

ETHNews

Other articles published on Oct 26, 2025

Ethereum Price Analysis: These Are ETH’s Next Targets Despite Prolonged Consolidation

Bitcoin Whale Acquires 3,195 BTC in Three Hours

This Viral Altcoin Under $0.05 Could Outpace Ripple (XRP)

Best Crypto to Buy Now: All Eyes on Solana, and DeepSnitch AI Presale With Huge Potential

Is CZ Return to Binance Happening After Trump’s Pardon?

Whale Activity Stirs Hope in Bitcoin’s Tepid Waters

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!