---
title: "What's in Your Bank's Wallet?"
description: "Explore how 90% of banks are adopting stablecoins in 2025, driving revenue through faster settlements and lower costs in international payments."
categories: ["crypto","web3"]
keywords: ["stablecoins","international payments","banking technology","crypto adoption","web3 finance","payment processors","Fireblocks survey","Tomasz Tunguz","Theory Ventures","financial innovation"]
ai_summary: "In 2025, 90% of banks are adopting stablecoins for faster, cheaper international payments, transforming the banking landscape."
date: 2025-05-23
lastmod: 2026-07-23
canonical_url: https://www.tomtunguz.com/250b-stablecoins/
author: "Tomasz Tunguz"
---

Only five months in, 2025 has been the year of stablecoins. A [Fireblocks survey of banks conducted in May](https://www.fireblocks.com/report/state-of-stablecoins/
) underscores how quickly the market is moving.

- 90% of respondents are taking action on stablecoins. 49% of them use stablecoin payments already. Only 10% are undecided on adoption.
- 58% of respondents use it primarily for an international money movement.
- 86% report infrastructure readiness with wallets and APIs or partnerships. 75% see clear demand from customers.

Why are so many banks and payment processors aggressively moving to adopt stables? 

The answer is the same as every platform shift promises, a greater revenue opportunity. Stablecoins allow international expansion without the hassle and the cost of setting up bank accounts in different geographies. 

Lower costs, faster settlement times, and [recent government regulation](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12522) have all catalyzed adoption. 

Banks and payment processors can leverage this technology to compete in new markets with a differentiated offering. They are also less expensive because they eliminate middlemen ([correspondent banks](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/correspondent-bank.asp)). 

This slice of the population surveyed is likely a bit skewed towards early adopters, but the trend at this point is inexorable. With [$250b in stablecoins](https://defillama.com/stablecoins) in circulation, I'm only $50b away from one of my [2025 predictions.](https://tomtunguz.com/2025_predictions/).

When the late majority adopts, we might see $1t of stablecoins & with it, an entirely new way of banking.