Crypto's quiet workhorse is finally going mainstream
The crypto world's most promising application is bursting into the financial mainstream βΒ powered not by hype, but by regulation, political backing, and trillions in real-world transactions.
Why it matters: Memecoins, fraudsters and crypto volatility have overshadowed the quiet success of stablecoins βΒ digital tokens designed to hold a steady value, typically pegged to the U.S. dollar.
- Stablecoins remain in a legal gray area in the U.S., but both chambers of Congress are racing to draft rules for what's become the most functional use case for blockchain technology worldwide.
- "We are going to keep the U.S. the dominant reserve currency in the world, and we will use stablecoins to do that," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed at a White House summit last month.
The intrigue: The digital currency has support not just from the Trump administration, but from the Trump family itself.
- Their crypto venture World Liberty Financial has announced its own plans to sell a stablecoin β drawing massive backlash from Democrats, who accuse the president of profiting from his office.
- Democrats who support passing stablecoin legislation fear the Trump family's conflicts could derail the bipartisan efforts to regulate and legitimize the fast-growing industry.
By the numbers: Global asset manager Ark Invest estimates that annual stabelcoin transaction volume hit $15.6 trillion in 2024 β basically on par with what the Visa Network reported for its fiscal 2024.
- More than $230 billion in assets have been dedicated to backing this class of tokens, up more than $100 billion since Trump won the 2024 election.
How it works: The most popular stablecoins are backed by dollar deposits and other highly liquid assets, ensuring that each token can be reliably redeemed for actual U.S. dollars β even during a bank run.
- Stablecoins started as liquidity for crypto traders, but they've caught on as a way for companies to manage global treasuries, pay workers around the world and conduct peer-to-peer transactions.
- There's been questions about the soundness of stablecoin reserves in the past, but it's become normal to release regular statements from accountants verifying their adequacy.
- Circle's stablecoin β the largest based in the U.S. β holds its reserves almost entirely at BlackRock, which pays it interest.
Between the lines: Stablecoins are highly profitable. Issuers pocket the interest on the assets backing the tokens β a lucrative spread in a high-rate environment.
- One major issuer reported $13 billion in profits for 2024.
State of play: After Paypal became the first big brand to release a stablecoin, a wave of new issuers are following suit.
- A U.S. law will likely permit big banks to issue their own β alongside credit unions, financial firms and others.
What we're watching: The Senate Banking Floor has sent its stablecoin bill, GENIUS, to the floor.
- The House Financial Services Committee did the same with its own bill, the STABLE Act, on Wednesday β setting the stage for crucial votes in both chambers of Congress.