Stablecoins: Reshaping the Future of Global Finance
The ascent of the stablecoin is proving to be a defining feature of the financial landscape in the mid-2020s.
Once primarily a tool for cryptocurrency traders, these digital assets, pegged to stable currencies like the USD, are now being integrated into the mainstream.
Stablecoins are promising to revolutionise cross-border payments, as seen in recent moves by Finastra and Thredd.
In a recent report by Boston Consulting Group, the total market capitalisation of stablecoins reached US$161.2bn as of August 2024, and with transaction volumes exceeding US$27tn annually.
The growing use of stablecoin
A significant driver of this growth is the increasing adoption of stablecoins for international payments, a sector long plagued by inefficiency and high costs. Recent collaborations highlight this trend.
Finastra's partnership with Circle, for example, will allow banks to integrate USDC into their payment flows, enabling near-instant settlement.
Similarly, the collaboration between Thredd and Reap is set to expand stablecoin-enabled card programmes across the US and Latin America.
These developments are not just theoretical; in Southeast Asia, over 43% of B2B cross-border payments are now conducted using stablecoins.
This surge in adoption has been supported by recent framework regulations such as the GENIUS act.
The development of robust legal frameworks is seen as crucial for the continued, safe growth of the stablecoin market.
In the US, the GENIUS Act is providing much-needed regulatory clarity, encouraging institutional investors and major financial players to enter the space.
The UK is following a similar path, with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England working on a comprehensive framework that would treat systemic stablecoins as critical payment systems.
Stablecoin’s market potential
Boston Consulting Group reports that the stablecoin market has already reached nearly US$270bn in August 2025, with B2B payments having already seen a thirty-fold increase in just two years.
As regulatory frameworks solidify and more institutions embrace the technology, stablecoins are poised to become an integral part of the global financial infrastructure, offering a faster, cheaper and more efficient way to move money across borders.
The transition is already well underway, marking a significant step in the maturation of the digital asset economy.
Leaders in the market include companies such as Fireblocks.
Fireblocks has launched platform-wide security and operational enhancements designed to address infrastructure challenges facing institutions entering digital asset markets.
The new capabilities focus on eliminating operational friction whilst strengthening security protocols across payment systems, retail applications, and institutional trading workflows.
The software development giant also published key insights in its recent State of Stablecoins Report.
Respondents to the survey indicated that just under half (48%) cited faster settlement as the main benefit to using stablecoin.
Additionally, the report also states that 90% of 295 respondents have already adopted stablecoin into their business practices. 49% reveal that they use stablecoin payments.
Forum for stablecoin development
Stablecoins are shifting into mainstream as key leaders in finance explain.
To find out more, come to the FinTech Live: London 2025 event, where John Hallahan, Director of Business Solutions EMEA at Fireblocks and Venkataramani Prakash, Senior Director Payments at Flywire, will speak at the Stablecoin Development Forum.
The forum will consider stablecoin benefits, such as the settlement speed for real-time payments, in addition to discussing how major players are building stablecoin frameworks.
Tickets are available here.