Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has released a report projecting that stablecoin transaction volumes could reach $1.5 quadrillion within the next decade, a figure that would exceed the estimated $1 quadrillion in global cross-border payments currently processed each year. The report, published on Wednesday, outlines both a baseline growth scenario and a more expansive outlook driven by two significant catalysts. The findings suggest the stablecoin sector may be substantially undervalued relative to its potential scale.
Under organic growth conditions alone, Chainalysis estimates adjusted stablecoin volume could climb to $719 trillion by 2035, up from $28 trillion in 2025. Reaching that baseline figure would require the industry to sustain a compound annual growth rate of 133% over the coming decade. Even this conservative projection would place stablecoin volumes well above the $662 trillion estimate of total global assets across banks, property, and cash, according to World Population Review.
The higher $1.5 quadrillion projection depends on two major developments materialising simultaneously. The first is the so-called great wealth transfer, in which the baby boomer generation passes an estimated $100 trillion in assets to younger generations with greater affinity for digital assets. The second is stablecoins displacing traditional payment infrastructure to become the default mechanism for settling transactions globally.
Rachael Lucas, a crypto analyst at Australian exchange BTC Markets, described the $1.5 quadrillion figure as “a ceiling-case scenario, not a base case,” while acknowledging that accelerating growth makes it plausible. She also highlighted an important distinction in how volume is measured, noting that it reflects how many times money moves rather than how much exists, meaning a single dollar can settle dozens of transactions within a single day. This dynamic significantly amplifies the headline figures.
Lucas pointed to several developments she views as concrete signals of institutional commitment rather than exploratory moves. These include Stripe acquiring payments infrastructure company Bridge and Mastercard entering a partnership with BVNK. She also cited regulatory progress in the form of the GENIUS Act as a factor that could enable institutional participation to scale in ways previously not achievable.
Survey data supports the generational dimension of the forecast. A January poll by OKX found that 40% of Gen Z Americans and 36% of Millennials plan to increase their crypto activity in the current year, compared with just 11% of baby boomers. This generational gap underscores the potential impact of a large-scale wealth transfer on digital asset adoption over the coming years.
Stablecoins are also gaining traction among traditional financial institutions. A September report by EY-Parthenon, the strategy consulting arm of Ernst & Young, found that 13% of financial institutions and corporations globally already use stablecoins, while 54% of non-users expect to adopt them within the next 12 months. These figures indicate that institutional interest is moving beyond speculation toward active integration into financial operations.
Originally reported by CoinTelegraph.
