A new study from Juniper Research has found that the value of payment transactions powered by stablecoins will exceed $187 billion globally by 2028, up from $53 billion in 2023.
The study found that stablecoins are making rapid progress in the cross-border market in particular, with them representing a key way to bypass slow, expensive and difficult-to-track existing cross‑border payment rails. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that have their value pegged to a fiat currency or commodity, removing the volatility inherent to a typical cryptocurrency.
By 2028, the value of cross-border stablecoin payments will represent almost 73% of total stablecoin payments transaction values globally; showing the dominance of cross-border use cases. Stablecoins can be highly effective, as they remove stages in the cross-border process, increase speed of transactions and settlements, and greatly improve traceability. The research, however, identified the main obstacle for further growth as being acceptance, with stablecoin roll-outs needing new networks to be built and scaled.
Research author Nick Maynard explained: “Stablecoins have vast potential to unlock the flow of money across borders, but payment platforms need to roll out acceptance strategies for this to progress. MTOs (Money Transfer Operators) can leverage stablecoins in a wholesale manner, but this will need networks to be built across wide geographic footprints.”
Another challenge to stablecoin growth is the role of CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies). CBDCs are digital coins issued by a central bank, which are pegged to the country’s fiat currency. While CBDCs are at an early stage of development, they too have strong potential for cross-border. The advantage CBDCs have is their central bank backing, meaning roll-outs should be at a faster pace. However, given the size of the cross-border space, and the very nascent stage of CBDC development, stablecoins have strong prospects for growth alongside CBDCs.
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Find out more about the new report, CBDCs & Stablecoins: Key Opportunities, Regional Analysis & Market Forecasts 2023-2030, or download a free sample.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below: