Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis has revealed that the massive transfer of wealth over the next two decades could change the way global payments are made, with stablecoins potentially playing a central role in this change for the broader cryptocurrency sector.
In a new blog post, the company predicts that between 2028 and 2048 up to $100 trillion could move from “Baby Boomers” to “Millennials” and “Generation Z” groups. They are likely to view cryptocurrencies as a standard part of their financial lives.
Chainalysis believes that this demographic and capital movement will lead to a massive increase in on-chain stablecoin activity and accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency payment paths.
Why does Chainalysis predict a stablecoin rally?
String analysis is based on Climate prediction In two close directions. First, starting around 2028, the composition of the adult population in North America and Europe will change.
Millennials and Generation Z — groups nearly half of which at some point own cryptocurrencies — are expected to become the dominant economic players, gradually replacing Generation X and Baby Boomers in influence and purchasing power.
Second, estimates from institutions such as Merrill Lynch suggest that as much as $100 trillion could be transferred to younger generations by 2048. Chainalysis calculates that this Generational transfer It alone could add approximately $508 trillion to the annual transaction volume of stablecoins by 2035.
Beyond direct wealth transfers, Chainalysis highlights point-of-sale (POS) adoption as the second key driver. The company estimates that the saturation of POS in stablecoin paths could contribute up to $232 trillion in annual stablecoin volume by 2035.
Taken together, the influx of legacy capital and broader merchant adoption would produce a new baseline for payments Stablecoin bars They constitute an essential component of the infrastructure that moves money.
Cryptocurrency transactions can be matched with Visa and Mastercard
If current trends in transaction growth continue, Chainalysis says on-chain stablecoin transactions could reach parity with the number of off-chain transactions for Visa and MasterCard sometime in the 2031-2039 window.
But the report warns against this Adoption It rarely follows a straight line: network effects, user incentives, and technological improvements can lead to this intersection early on.
As consumers evaluate payment options, they will likely compare cryptocurrency paths with traditional systems based on familiar metrics — fees, settlement times, rewards — and cards and services tied to stablecoins could compete directly with legacy providers.
Chainalysis sees these dynamics as already driving strategic moves by established financial players. The blog post points to actions like Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge and Mastercard’s partnership with BVNK as examples of incumbents positioning themselves to work on both. Conventional and chain-linked bars.
The company argues that the choice for banks and payments companies has become binary: build infrastructure and partnerships to capture flows from native cryptocurrency customers or risk forgoing transactions in favor of alternative paths run by others.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
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