Stablecoin cross-border flows surge 78%, defying crypto bear market

Cross-border stablecoin transfers surged as the wider crypto market shrank 37%, with Chainalysis pointing to growing use for trade, remittances and savings.

Crypto’s downturn over the last year has done little to slow stablecoins at the border, with cross-border stablecoin flows rising 77.5% in the year to June 2026 as the broader market lost more than a third of its value, according to new research from Chainalysis. 

In its newly released 2026 Global Crypto Adoption Index, Chainalysis said cross-border stablecoin flows rose 77.5% to $220.3 billion in the 12 months ending June 2026, from $124.2 billion in the previous 12-month period, despite total crypto market capitalization falling 37% to $2.1 trillion over the same period. 

“The bear market hit the price-sensitive half of crypto and left the payments half alone,” Chainalysis said.

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