In a milestone moment for digital finance, stablecoins have officially outpaced Visa in annual transaction volume for the first time, according to a report from Bitwise. While Visa processed just over $13 trillion in 2024, stablecoins logged an estimated $14 trillion—nearly doubling their 2023 figures.

At the heart of this surge is a growing appetite for programmable, borderless money. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, stablecoins offer a 1:1 peg to fiat currencies like the US dollar, making them ideal for payments and remittances. Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) continue to dominate the market, with combined capitalizations topping $200 billion as of April.

Bitwise CEO Matt Hougan believes this is just the beginning. He predicts stablecoins could seize a significant portion of the $44 trillion cross-border B2B market within five years—a space long dominated by legacy payment giants.

The catalysts? Renewed corporate interest from firms like PayPal, Stripe, and Fidelity, as well as the anticipated passing of stablecoin regulation bills in the U.S. by mid-2025. Even Fed Chair Jerome Powell has acknowledged the value of clear legislation for the sector.

This boom isn’t isolated. Bitwise points out that the rise in stablecoin usage could ripple through DeFi protocols and other crypto ecosystems, creating second-order opportunities for investors who understand where the money is flowing next.

Buy or sell? The numbers suggest that stablecoins aren’t just a niche crypto tool anymore—they’re becoming financial infrastructure. For investors, this could be a hint to pay closer attention not just to the coins themselves, but to the platforms and blockchains that power them.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice