Stablecoins Aiming for $2T

Stablecoins might just be the quiet giants of the next crypto wave. Standard Chartered’s latest report predicts the stablecoin market could skyrocket to $2 trillion by the end of 2028, driven by tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), institutional adoption, and the expansion of use cases in global payments.

A 16x Surge from Today

As of now, the stablecoin market hovers around $130 billion. Reaching $2 trillion would require a more than 16-fold increase, but Standard Chartered sees it as a natural evolution rather than a moonshot.

Analyst Geoff Kendrick says the momentum is already building, especially in tokenization projects, CBDC-linked infrastructure, and cross-border payment rails using digital dollars.

Real-World Assets Lead the Way

The biggest driver? Real-world asset tokenization. Stablecoins are emerging as the preferred settlement layer for tokenized bonds, commodities, and funds. If traditional finance fully taps into on-chain assets, stablecoins could become a $2T backbone for this ecosystem.

Standard Chartered also highlighted the role of USDC and USDT, both of which could benefit from more regulation and institutional clarity. Their dominance, however, might be challenged by next-gen algorithmic or fully-backed fiat coins backed by banks or even central banks.

What This Means for Crypto

If the prediction plays out, stablecoins will move beyond just being “parking lots” for crypto traders. Instead, they’ll be core infrastructure for payment systems, DeFi lending, cross-border remittances, and enterprise blockchain services.

The takeaway: stable-coins aren’t the hype coins, but they’re building the rails that could carry the rest of the market forward.