Euro stablecoins stuck at €395M as ECB report shows Europe falling behind

Key Takeaways

How large is Europe’s stablecoin market?

Euro-denominated stablecoins total just €395 million, compared to 90% of global market value captured by USD stablecoins.

What regulatory constraint hurts euro stablecoins?

MiCAR prohibits interest payments on stablecoins, preventing euro tokens from competing as attractive savings vehicles if U.S. issuers begin offering yield.

According to a recent European Central Bank report [ECB], Europe’s stablecoin market remains a rounding error in the global crypto economy. Euro-denominated tokens total just €395 million. 

The figures highlight a widening competitiveness gap as USD-backed stablecoins continue to dominate trading, liquidity, and market infrastructure across the digital asset sector.

USD stablecoins control 90% of global market

The ECB’s latest assessment shows that USD stablecoins now account for the majority of global crypto activity. 

USDT and USDC collectively capture nearly 90% of the market by value. By comparison, euro-pegged tokens barely register, despite the EU’s ambition to shape the regulatory future of digital finance.

Source: European Central Bank

The gap carries structural implications for Europe’s role in the tokenized economy. One of the clearest indicators appears in trading infrastructure. 

Stablecoins, which are overwhelmingly USD-based, represent up to 80% of all centralized exchange trading pairs. This effectively makes dollar-backed assets the base currency of the crypto market.

This means European traders, liquidity pools, DeFi users, and institutions already operate in a USD-native digital ecosystem with little reliance on the euro.

Stablecoin issuers now among top 20 treasury holders

The ECB warns that the largest USD stablecoins are becoming increasingly intertwined with traditional financial markets. 

USDT and USDC reserve portfolios now place the issuers among the top 20 holders of U.S. Treasury bills, underscoring their growing global footprint.

This positioning creates potential systemic impact if a large-scale redemption event occurs. Euro stablecoins, by contrast, lack the scale to play any comparable role in financial markets.

MiCAR prohibition on interest payments creates competitive handicap

Europe’s regulatory framework may be contributing to the imbalance. 

Under MiCAR, interest payments on stablecoins are prohibited—a constraint the ECB acknowledges could prevent euro tokens from becoming attractive savings vehicles.

Meanwhile, if U.S. stablecoin issuers begin offering yield, the ECB warns they could siphon deposits away from European banks by attracting retail users and corporate treasuries seeking higher returns.

The ECB further highlights cross-border vulnerabilities. “Multi-jurisdiction” stablecoins—issued simultaneously inside and outside the EU—could trigger redemption mismatches during periods of stress. 

In such situations, reserves held in one jurisdiction may not cover outflows sparked in another, amplifying contagion risk.

Europe trails in race to define digital money

Europe trails in the race to define the future of digital money. 

Without competitive euro-based stablecoins or a widely adopted digital euro, the continent risks relying on foreign currencies to power its next-generation financial infrastructure.

The €395 million market represents less than 0.5% of the USD stablecoin ecosystem.

As crypto markets mature and stablecoins integrate deeper into traditional finance, this gap threatens Europe’s monetary sovereignty in the digital age.