In January 2026, stablecoins surpassed Mastercard in transaction volume, with $11 trillion transacted compared to Mastercard’s annual volume of $10 trillion, according to Jordi Visser on the “Wolf of All Streets.” This significant shift highlights the growing role of stablecoins, especially on the Ethereum network, which functions as the leading settlement layer for these digital currencies, allowing for permissionless transactions without traditional bank requirements or swipe fees. As stablecoins gain traction as the preferred medium for AI-to-AI commerce, the financial landscape is rapidly transforming from traditional methods to blockchain-based solutions.
Stablecoins surpass Mastercard volume, driven by Ethereum usage
