Benzinga·2025-12-22 16:29Core Insights - Coinbase projects that the stablecoin market will reach $1.2 trillion by 2028 as the cryptocurrency sector matures into institutional-grade assets, moving away from its previous speculative nature [1][9] - The cryptocurrency market has entered a new phase characterized by clearer regulations, corporate adoption, and reduced volatility, with Bitcoin's 90-day volatility now comparable to major tech stocks [2] Market Dynamics - The total crypto market cap peaked at $4.2 trillion in 2025 before correcting to $3.0 trillion, indicating a significant shift in market dynamics [2] - Spot Bitcoin ETFs have driven long-term demand, accumulating $58 billion since their launch, which has helped stabilize the market and reduce volatility [4] Stablecoin Growth - Transaction volumes for stablecoins reached $47.6 trillion in 2025, with expectations for the market cap to quadruple to $1.2 trillion by 2028 [9][10] - The supply of stablecoins is growing at a compound annual rate of 30-40%, driven by payments, remittances, and treasury operations [10] Institutional Adoption - Publicly traded companies are increasingly allocating significant portions of their balance sheets to cryptocurrencies, with digital asset treasuries holding over 4% of Ethereum's circulating supply by year-end [4] - Ethereum has seen a rebound of nearly 250% from its April lows, driven by institutional demand and spot ETF inflows [7] Future Outlook - Coinbase anticipates that ETF inflows will resume in 2026 as macroeconomic conditions improve [8] - The firm expects consolidation among issuer-backed stablecoins, leading to a few dominant digital currencies [10]