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a16z: Stablecoins are evolving from trading tools into core financial infrastructure, with payment and localization trends accelerating
BlockBeats News, April 25 — According to a research report released by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), stablecoins are gradually evolving from early transaction media and store of value tools into global financial infrastructure, with their use cases and market structures undergoing profound changes.
Data shows that regulatory clarity has become a key catalyst. After the implementation of the U.S. GENIUS Act, trading volume of stablecoins has significantly accelerated, with adjusted trading scale reaching approximately $4.5 trillion in Q1 2026; the European MiCA framework has also driven the formation of stable demand in the non-dollar stablecoin market.
At the application level, commercial payments with stablecoins are growing rapidly. In 2025, consumer-to-business (C2B) transactions increased by 128% year-over-year, and stablecoin card infrastructure (such as EtherFi Cash) has seen monthly collateralized amounts exceeding $300 million, indicating that real consumer scenarios are taking shape.
Meanwhile, the circulation speed of stablecoins has noticeably increased, with the turnover rate rising from 2.6 times in 2024 to about 6 times, indicating a shift from “holding assets” to “high-frequency payment medium.”
Regionally, Asia accounts for nearly two-thirds of trading volume, North America about a quarter, and Europe approximately 13%. Notably, stablecoins are shifting from “cross-border payment tools” to “local payment tools”: intra-country transaction share has increased from about 50% in 2024 to nearly 75% in 2026.
Additionally, non-dollar stablecoins are emerging in new markets, such as the Brazilian real stablecoin BRLA, which has approached $400 million in monthly trading volume. The report concludes that the stablecoin ecosystem is exhibiting a “global underlying network + localized applications” structural characteristic and is gradually becoming a universal payment infrastructure.