Ripple foresees stablecoins taking on a significant settlement layer role by 2025, comparable to traditional payment systems. In his analysis, Reece Merrick, Senior Executive Director at Ripple and Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, presented key metrics demonstrating the rapid growth of stablecoin usage in the real economy.
Stablecoin Market Growth in 2025
Estimates indicate that stablecoin transaction volume could reach $28–30 trillion in 2025, reflecting accelerated annual growth. These figures suggest that the settlement load handled by stablecoins has become comparable to volumes processed by traditional payment providers, attracting increased market attention.
Stablecoins’ Share of On-Chain Transactions
In 2025, stablecoins are expected to make up roughly 30% of all on-chain transactions, up from previous estimates of around 20–25%. Meanwhile, daily active addresses exceed 10 million, indicating expanded usage—from speculative trading to payments, liquidity management, and intercompany transfers.
Regulatory Changes and Their Impact
Ripple emphasizes that the advancement of regulatory frameworks such as the U.S. GENIUS Act and the EU’s MiCA regime enhances clarity for market participants. This regulatory certainty encourages institutions and commercial entities to view stablecoins as tools for payment and treasury operations, not just as elements of the cryptocurrency market.
Ripple Experts’ Perspective
Reece Merrick describes the developments as a rapid modernization of financial infrastructure, where stablecoins become a key indicator of market scaling. He notes shifts in usage patterns across many blockchains and an expanding user base, including institutional and governmental participants.
Why This Matters
For miners, this change does not necessarily alter cryptocurrency mining directly, but the growing share of stablecoins in on-chain transactions affects overall network activity and transaction profiles. Meanwhile, the expanded use of stablecoins increases the importance of fast settlements and convenient withdrawal options for users and services you may interact with.
What to Do?
- Monitor fees and transaction types on the network: stablecoin volume growth can impact block fullness and fee behavior.
- Familiarize yourself with exchanges and services supporting stablecoins to have options for quick fiat conversion when needed.
- Consider the regulatory environment: regulations like the U.S. GENIUS Act and EU MiCA are changing how platforms handle stablecoins, so check the rules of services you use.
- Keep accurate accounting and tax documentation: active transfers and stablecoin operations require careful tracking of fund flows.
For more details on Ripple’s activity and new stablecoin launches, see materials on RLUSD on Layer 2 and volume studies discussing surpassing ACH transaction volumes in the future, surpassing ACH. These articles provide additional context on stablecoin applications and their role in payment infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has stablecoin volume become an important metric? Because stablecoin settlement volumes have exceeded those of traditional payment processors, reflecting real-world use beyond purely trading scenarios.
How fast is the stablecoin market growing? Estimates show transaction volume increasing 50–60% year-over-year in 2025, potentially reaching $28–30 trillion by year-end.
What does the growth in stablecoins’ on-chain share mean? A share around 30% and over 10 million daily active addresses indicate expanding use of stablecoins for payments, liquidity management, and intercompany transfers.