Stablecoins could be used for up to $1.5 quadrillion in annual trading volume by 2035, potentially surpassing traditional payment networks, according to a new Chainalysis report.
The blockchain analytics firm projects that even without major catalysts, adjusted stablecoin volume would reach $719 trillion through current growth trajectories alone. But it sees an opportunity for that figure to more than double, based on potential macro shifts.
The firm's projections hinge on two transformative shifts beyond current adoption rates. A massive intergenerational wealth transfer between 2028 and 2048 will move an estimated $100 trillion from Boomers to younger generations, who embrace crypto at far higher rates. Nearly half of Millennials and Gen Z have held or currently hold crypto, according to Gemini survey results from 2025 cited in the report.
This demographic shift could inject $508 trillion into annual stablecoin transaction volumes by 2035. Point-of-sale integration represents the second major catalyst, potentially contributing another $232 trillion annually as stablecoins penetrate everyday commerce.
The report also highlights accelerating regulatory momentum, pointing to the GENIUS Act—which President Donald Trump signed into law last summer—as evidence that U.S. policymakers are taking stablecoin infrastructure seriously.
Traditional financial giants are already positioning for this shift. Stripe's $1.1 billion acquisition of Bridge and Mastercard's recently announced acquisition of BVNK—valued at up to $1.8 billion—signal that incumbent payment processors recognize stablecoins as inevitable infrastructure, according to the Chainalysis analysis.
These strategic moves validate the projected timeline for mainstream adoption. Payment companies aren't waiting for 2035—they're building the rails now to handle what could become the dominant form of value transfer within a decade.
Current data underscores the momentum behind these projections. Stablecoins processed $28 trillion in real economic volume in 2025, Chainalysis said, with adjusted volume growing at a 133% compound annual rate since 2023. At this pace, stablecoin payment volumes would match Visa and Mastercard's combined off-chain transaction volumes sometime between 2031 and 2039.
“For incumbents, the calculus is becoming straightforward,” Chainalysis wrote. “The blockchain is now the essential plumbing for the next era of global payments. The institutions that build for this reality now will be positioned to define it, while those that wait may find themselves settling transactions on someone else’s rails.”
