Since its inception in 2008, when Bitcoin was created, the crypto market has grown and turned into a complex, inherently global system. However, it remains extremely volatile. In the process of development, in addition to speculative crypto assets, the so–called stablecoins have received special development.
What is a stablecoin?
A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a fixed value, usually pegged 1:1 to a stable asset such as the dollar, euro, gold, etc. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, they ensure the immutability of prices, allowing for faster, cheaper and more reliable digital transactions for everyday use.
The initial goal of creating stablecoins is to bridge the gap between traditional fiat currencies and digital assets, reducing volatility in the crypto trade. But by now, the range of applications of stablecoins has expanded significantly. And first of all, commercial companies are attracted by the opportunity to make fast international transfers 24/7 with lower costs. Also, many companies doing global business and present in countries with weak local currencies choose to store some of their assets in stablecoins and to make settlements with local suppliers or employees working remotely.
USDT (Tether) and USDC (USD Coin, Circle), pegged to the US dollar, are the main and widely known stablecoins. EURC (Circle) and EURe (Monerium) are linked to the Euro. In the European Union, work is carried out only with coins that meet the requirements of MiCA*.
At the moment (early 2026), the stablecoin market is showing record figures, having established itself as a key financial infrastructure:
- For the first time, the monthly volume of settlements in stablecoins surpassed the American ACH (Automated Clearing House) system and amounted to $7.2 trillion in February, while ACH had $6.8 trillion and Visa had $1.2 trillion.
- In March 2026, the total value of all stablecoins in circulation exceeded the historical mark of $300 billion (about $315-318 billion at the beginning of April).
- The market leaders are Tether (USDT), which remains dominant with a capitalization of about $184 billion (52-58% of the market); and USD Coin (USDC), which ranks second with a volume of about $77-78 billion, showing a significant increase in transfer activity.
- It is expected that if the current growth rates are maintained, the total market capitalization of stablecoins may approach $1 trillion by the end of 2026.
Stable Coins and Institutional Cryptocurrency Over-the-Counter Markets
Stablecoins now function not only as entry and exit points to the crypto market, but also as a tool for cross-border payments.
Commercial organizations prefer to work through specialized OTC platforms (over-the-counter desk) – licensed liquidity providers. Such operators work under strict anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Business/Customer (KYB/KYC) procedures, and use financial instruments compatible with international banking standards.
Settlements on fiat obligations are carried out exclusively using regulated banking systems (for example, SWIFT, SEPA, TARGET2), and the movement of digital assets is recorded through transparent transactions on the blockchain.
Corporate business (B2B) is increasingly entering the institutional spot over-the-counter market by entering into partnerships with licensed operators.
While earlier cycles of development of the crypto industry and stablecoins were based on speculative interest as a marketing strategy, currently the focus is actively shifting towards operational efficiency, automation (including using AI) and settlement speed (rapid asset movement).
A new trend: separation of the functions of executing transactions and storing crypto assets
The most significant structural shift in the period 2023-2025 is the separation of execution (trading, processing of crypto transactions) from storage (safekeeping, custodial services).
In the world after the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange, financial institutions found the risk to customers associated with leaving capital on trading platforms unacceptable. This led to the transition to over-the-counter storage and settlement networks. Today, the leading OTC platforms are actively developing trading models without the actual presence of assets on the balance sheet. In fact, the client receives some trading credit, places an order, thereby fixing the terms of the transaction he needs, and then the settlements are carried out, which in the case of the fiat part may take some time. At the same time, for example, in the case of a purchase of a crypto asset, in the final execution of the transaction, the client receives the cryptocurrency directly to his wallet, bypassing intermediate storage accounts.
Unlike the operating model of traditional crypto exchanges, which require pre-financing of transactions and replenishment of the balance, the new solution connects customers with various liquidity providers, providing optimal prices, while settlements with the crypto operator take place on a two-way basis or through a third-party clearing or settlement layer. And this completely eliminates the risks of transferring capital to storage.
Looking to the future
In the period 2026-2030, the final transformation of stablecoins from a niche cryptotrading tool into a fundamental global payments infrastructure is expected.
Stablecoins have every opportunity to become the main layer for corporate payments, treasury transactions and international transfers thanks to instant settlements (24/7) and low fees.
There will be further integration with traditional finance. For example, major players such as Visa and Mastercard are already introducing stablecoins into their main payment networks. Many banks will add operations with crypto assets to the list of their services. Tokenization of real world assets (RWA) will also be developed – stablecoins will be used as a unit of account for the purchase of tokenized stocks, bonds and real estate.
And, of course, stablecoins are an integral part of technological evolution – they will automate complex transactions through smart contracts (for example, instant payment for goods upon confirmation of delivery). A significant increase in the use of stablecoins by AI bots for autonomous micropayments between machines is expected.
Integrity Global company service
Integrity Global has been operating as a crypto OTC operator for four years, having accumulated significant expertise in this area, built an efficient IT system, and formed a strong compliance and operations team. We are confident about the future, fully comply with regulatory requirements (MiCA*) and are developing with the market.
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* MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) is a comprehensive EU regulation that establishes uniform rules for the cryptocurrency market, which regulates the activities of issuers of stablecoins and providers of crypto services, ensuring consumer protection, transparency and financial stability in the European Union.