Stablecoin Market Regains Lost Ground, Reaching New Highs of $190B

The total market capitalization for stablecoins has swollen 46% this year to a record of about $190 billion on Sunday, according to DeFiLlama data.

The total market value of stablecoins has hit a new record high.

According to DeFiLlama data on Sunday, the total market capitalization for stablecoins has increased by 46% this year, reaching a record high of around $190 billion.

Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a price that is consistently pegged to a fiat currency, typically the US dollar. They have primarily been used as a channel for traders to move funds into and out of other tokens. However, there is now increasing optimism that stablecoins could play a more prominent role in global commerce, especially as a tool for cross-border payments.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has seen its token's circulation soar to nearly $133 billion, which accounts for 70% of the total stablecoin market. The company is aiming to expand the use cases for USDT by venturing into new industries, including commodities. Recently, Tether announced the funding of its first crude oil transaction in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, in October, Stripe Inc., a $70 billion fintech giant, announced plans to acquire stablecoin startup Bridge for $1.1 billion in one of the largest-ever acquisitions of a digital-asset startup. Other traditional finance firms, such as PayPal Holdings Inc., have also entered the sector.

The engagement of stablecoins by such organizations may help to avert the type of steep market crash that occurred after the toppling of TerraUSD in May 2022. The unraveling of that stablecoin, which was linked to the Terra blockchain founded by Do Kwon, opened up a $19 billion hole in the stablecoin market that took more than two-and-a-half years to fill.

The recent surge in stablecoins coincides with a crypto rally that has been fueled by Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential race. Despite initially being skeptical of the industry, Trump won over the sector with promises of more favorable policies.

According to data from CoinGecko, the overall value of the digital-assets market has risen by nearly a trillion dollars since the election. Bitcoin, the market bellwether, came close to reaching the $100,000 mark last week before pulling back. On Wednesday morning in London, Bitcoin was trading at $93,377.