Stablecoin Transfers Hit $35 Trillion With Minimal Real-World Use

According to a Coindesk report, McKinsey and Artemis Analytics revealed that stablecoins facilitated over $35 trillion in transactions last year, with a minor portion for real-world payments.

The finding highlights stablecoins’ limited role in tangible transactions, despite significant blockchain activity, suggesting potential growth in real-world applications amid evolving industry regulations.

Stablecoin Real-World Payment Adoption Stalls at 1%

The joint report by McKinsey and Artemis Analytics reveals that, despite significant blockchain activity, stablecoins were primarily used in non-real-world transactions. Only about 1% were attributed to actual payments such as payroll and remittances. McKinsey suggests that ongoing regulatory changes could facilitate broader adoption by 2025. Regulatory support could catalyze increased use in tokenized cash payments.

The Coincu research team highlights potential shifts in regulation and institutional interest by 2025, potentially leading to wider adoption of tokenized currency for real payments. Historical patterns suggest that clearer regulations could increase stablecoins’ integration in financial systems.

“While the transactional volume is immense, the challenge lies in converting blockchain activity into practical financial utility,” shared an analyst in the October 2025 stablecoin update.

Surging Volumes and Regulatory Prospects

Did you know? In 2024, stablecoin volumes surged to $4.1 trillion monthly—a 115% increase—yet remain just a fractional part of global payments.

According to CoinMarketCap data, Tether (USDT) is currently priced at $0.99 with a market cap of around $186.65 billion, despite a 2.67% decrease in the past 24 hours. The circulating supply stands at approximately 186.9 billion tokens.

The Coincu research team highlights potential shifts in regulation and institutional interest by 2025, potentially leading to wider adoption of tokenized currency for real payments. Historical patterns suggest that clearer regulations could increase stablecoins’ integration in financial systems.