TLDR
- Stablecoin retail payments broke records with $5.8 billion in August transactions under $250
- Ethereum leads with $165 billion total stablecoin supply, capturing 57% market share
- Binance Smart Chain overtakes Tron as top choice for retail crypto payments
- Emerging market adoption surges as users avoid traditional banking fees
- Weekly stablecoin inflows reached $5 billion on Ethereum network alone
The stablecoin market experienced unprecedented growth in August 2025, with retail transactions reaching historic levels across multiple blockchain networks. Digital currencies pegged to traditional assets like the US dollar continue gaining mainstream adoption.
Consumer-level stablecoin transfers under $250 hit $5.8 billion in August, marking the highest monthly volume on record. This surge pushed 2025’s total beyond last year’s complete volume with four months still remaining in the year.
Data from emerging markets reveals why adoption continues accelerating. Surveys across Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia show users increasingly choose stablecoins over traditional banking. High fees and slow transfer times drive this shift, with nearly 70% reporting increased usage compared to 2024.
Network Competition Reshapes Market
Blockchain networks experienced shifting user preferences as transaction costs and speed influenced payment choices. Binance Smart Chain emerged as the leading platform for retail users, capturing nearly 40% of all small-value stablecoin activity.
BSC’s growth reached 75% in transaction volume this year, with transfer counts rising 67%. The network’s momentum accelerated after Binance removed USDT access for European users in March and renewed memecoin trading activity boosted platform usage.
Tron network faced declining market share despite previously dominating retail transfers through low fees and USDT support. Monthly transaction counts dropped by 1.3 million, representing a 6% decrease as competitors gained ground.
Ethereum Maintains Dominance
Ethereum solidified its position as the primary stablecoin network with total supply reaching $165 billion, an all-time high. The network added approximately $5 billion in new stablecoins during one week, demonstrating continued institutional confidence.
The Ethereum ecosystem, including layer-2 networks, processed over 20% of transfer volume and 31% of transaction counts. Mainnet activity increased substantially with sub-$250 transfers rising 81% in volume and 184% in transaction frequency.
Lower transaction costs made Ethereum more competitive for smaller payments. Fees dropped over 70% in the past year, bringing mainnet transactions within reach for retail users previously limited to alternative networks.
Traditional finance institutions continue selecting Ethereum for tokenized products. Fidelity’s Digital Interest Token launched September 1 with $203.6 million in assets, joining growing institutional adoption.
The network maintains commanding market share with 57% of all stablecoins, far ahead of Tron’s 27% and Solana’s 4%. Ethereum also leads tokenized commodities with 77% market dominance and over 70% of tokenized US Treasuries.
