Stablecoin transaction volumes climbed to a record $33 trillion in 2025 as USDC processed $18.3 trillion worth of transfers—surpassing USDT's $13.3 trillion despite trailing in market capitalization.
What Happened: Record Volume Growth
According to data compiled by Artemis Analytics Inc. and cited by Bloomberg, total stablecoin transaction volumes jumped 72% year-over-year in 2025, driven by institutional adoption following passage of the Genius Act in July under President Donald Trump's administration.
Circle Internet Group Inc.'s USDC accounted for $18.3 trillion in transactions while Tether Holdings SA's USDT recorded $13.3 trillion.
The Genius Act established legal standards for stablecoins, spurring Standard Chartered, Walmart and Amazon to explore launches.
World Liberty Financial Inc., a Trump family crypto venture, launched stablecoin USD1 in Mar.
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Why It Matters: Regulatory Clarity
USDT maintains a $187 billion market cap compared to USDC's $75 billion.
However, USDC dominates decentralized finance platforms where frequent trading creates higher transaction velocity, said Anthony Yim, co-founder of Artemis.
The shift toward regulated stablecoins signals adoption of digital dollars "especially in an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape," Yim said.
Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer at Circle, attributed USDC's transaction dominance to "the deepest liquidity and the highest levels of regulatory trust in the world."
Bloomberg Intelligence projects stablecoin payment flows could reach $56 trillion by 2030. Fourth-quarter 2025 volumes hit a record $11 trillion, up from $8.8 trillion in the third quarter, according to Artemis data.
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