A new industry forecast has projected a rapid expansion in the use of stablecoins for cross-border business payments, with transaction value expected to rise to $5 trillion by 2035, up from just $13.4 billion in 2026.
The projection was contained in a report by Juniper Research, a global technology forecasting firm, which highlighted the growing role of stablecoins in addressing long-standing inefficiencies in international payments.
Stablecoins, a class of cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to fiat currencies most commonly the US dollar, but increasingly also the euro and other currencies, are gaining wider application beyond trading and speculation. They are now being deployed in practical financial operations such as invoice settlements, payroll processing, remittances, merchant payments, and capital market transactions.
According to the report, their rising adoption is largely driven by their ability to offer faster settlement times, continuous 24/7 availability, and lower transaction costs compared to traditional payment systems. Rather than replacing existing financial infrastructure, stablecoins are increasingly being integrated into it, complementing conventional banking and payment rails.
The study also categorised stablecoin usage into several transaction types, including person-to-person (P2P), person-to-business (P2B), business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), and crypto card-based payments.
However, it noted that B2B transactions will dominate the market, accounting for about 85 percent of total stablecoin transaction value by 2035. This shift reflects a broader transformation in how corporations manage cross-border payments, treasury operations, and supply chain settlements, with stablecoins emerging as a foundational layer of institutional payment infrastructure.
Juniper Research attributed the growth outlook primarily to the inefficiencies of traditional correspondent banking systems. These legacy frameworks often involve settlement delays and multiple layers of intermediary fees, including correspondent charges, foreign exchange spreads, and SWIFT messaging costs.
In contrast, stablecoin-based transactions are executed on blockchain networks and can settle in near real time, significantly reducing costs and improving transaction speed. This makes them particularly attractive for high-value, time-sensitive corporate transfers, especially in dollar-denominated corridors where stablecoins provide a neutral settlement asset.
Commenting on the findings, Jawad Jahan, Juniper Research analyst, noted that stablecoins are gaining traction in specific use cases where their advantages are most pronounced.
“Stablecoins are not replacing payments infrastructure; they are being adopted where the advantages are most pronounced. Cross-border B2B is where those advantages are greatest, and where we expect the most sustained volume growth over the forecast period,” he said.
Jahan added that stablecoin issuers and payment service providers are likely to see the most value by focusing on enterprise-level integrations and treasury partnerships, which he described as key to capturing long-term institutional demand.
