Stablecoins Emerging as Core Financial Infrastructure, Localization Trends Accelerate: a16z Report

Gate News message, April 26 — According to a report from a16z crypto researchers Robert Hackett and Jeremy Zhang, stablecoins are evolving from early-stage trading instruments and savings vehicles into core financial infrastructure. The U.S. GENIUS Act has established the first federal stablecoin issuance framework, while Europe’s MiCA regulation, though causing USDT delisting on some exchanges, has catalyzed sustained demand for non-USD stablecoins with monthly trading volumes ranging from $15 billion to $25 billion.

Usage metrics show significant growth: consumer-to-merchant (C2B) stablecoin transaction volume surged 128% year-over-year in 2025, reaching 284.6 million transactions. Stablecoin velocity increased from 2.6x in early 2024 to 6x currently, indicating higher payment frequency relative to holdings. Excluding trading and financial flows, an estimated $350 billion to $550 billion in stablecoin activity in 2025 represents genuine payment use cases.

Geographically, nearly two-thirds of stablecoin payment volume originates from Asia (primarily Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan), with North America accounting for approximately one-quarter and Europe about 13%. Notably, cross-border transactions are declining as a share of total volume, with domestic transactions rising from roughly 50% in early 2024 to nearly 75% by early 2026. Brazil-pegged BRLA has seen monthly transfer volumes reach approximately $400 million, exemplifying the rise of localized stablecoin payments.