Citi Predicts Stablecoins Could Power $100T in Payments by 2030

Stablecoins are expanding faster than expected, and Citi believes their role in global finance could be far larger than previously projected.

Issuance has already jumped from roughly $200 billion at the start of 2025 to $280 billion today, a pace that pushed the bank to lift its forecasts for the decade ahead.

Instead of topping out at $1.6 trillion, Citi now sees the market reaching $1.9 trillion by 2030, with a bull case scenario climbing as high as $4 trillion. If digital tokens move as quickly through the system as traditional currencies, the bank argues, they could process $100 trillion in yearly transactions, potentially double that under more optimistic assumptions.

Even so, Citi doesn’t expect stablecoins to dominate the digital money landscape. Corporate demand for bank-issued tokens and tokenized deposits could drive even larger volumes, especially as businesses prioritize regulatory safeguards and real-time settlement.

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The bank estimates those products could also surpass $100 trillion in turnover before the end of the decade.
Dollar-based stablecoins remain the core driver, supporting demand for U.S. Treasuries, though experimentation is also emerging in places like Hong Kong and the UAE. Citi frames this shift as less a competition and more a reshaping of financial rails, with stablecoins, bank tokens, and CBDCs likely coexisting, each filling different needs.

The bank summed up the trend as blockchain’s “ChatGPT moment,” a breakthrough that could accelerate adoption of digital money in everyday commerce while giving institutions a stronger role in the on-chain economy.

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