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Stablecoin Supply Doubles in 2024: Key Insights from Token Terminal

Stablecoin Supply Doubles in 2024: Key Insights from Token Terminal

If you've been keeping an eye on the crypto world, you know stablecoins are like the steady anchors in a sea of volatile tokens. These are cryptocurrencies

- Let's consider how stablecoins might relate to meme token trading for the article.
designed to maintain a stable value, often pegged to the US dollar, making them perfect for trading, remittances, and even earning yields without the wild price swings of something like Bitcoin. Recently, Token Terminal, a top-notch analytics platform for crypto fundamentals, dropped a fascinating thread on X highlighting the explosive growth in stablecoin supply. Let's dive into their insights and break it down step by step.

Explosive Growth in Stablecoin Supply

According to Token Terminal, the total stablecoin supply has doubled since the start of 2024, jumping from around $130 billion to a whopping $270 billion. This surge signals increasing adoption and liquidity pouring into the crypto space, which is great news for everyone from meme token traders to institutional investors.

Chart showing aggregated stablecoin supply growth from 2018 to 2024

You can see in the chart above how the supply has been on a steady upward trajectory, with a sharp acceleration in recent months. This growth isn't just numbers—it's a sign of more real-world money entering blockchain ecosystems.

Dominant Blockchains Hosting Stablecoins

When it comes to where these stablecoins live, Ethereum and TRON are the big players, hosting about 90% of the total supply. Solana comes in third, boasting over $10 billion in stablecoins. Why does this matter? These blockchains provide the infrastructure for fast, low-cost transactions, which is crucial for stablecoins used in daily trading and DeFi (decentralized finance) activities.

Chart of stablecoin supply distribution across blockchains like Ethereum, TRON, and Solana

Ethereum's dominance here underscores its role as the go-to layer for complex smart contracts, while TRON and Solana appeal with their speed and affordability—perfect for high-volume stablecoin transfers.

Top Issuers Controlling the Market

The stablecoin market is highly concentrated, with the top four issuers holding about 96% of the share. Leading the pack is Tether (USDT), a private company that's been a staple in crypto for years. Then there's Circle (USDC), which went public, adding a layer of transparency and regulatory compliance. Rounding out the list are Ethena Labs and Sky Ecosystem, both decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) that operate through community governance.

Market share breakdown of top stablecoin issuers including Tether, Circle, Ethena, and Sky

This mix of private, public, and DAO models shows how diverse the stablecoin landscape is becoming, catering to different risk appetites and use cases.

USD Reigns Supreme Among Tokenized Currencies

No surprise here—the US dollar is the king of tokenized currencies. Every top stablecoin is USD-backed, and not a single Euro-based one cracks the top 20 by supply. This reflects the global dominance of the USD in finance, even in the crypto realm.

List of top stablecoins by supply, all USD-pegged

For blockchain practitioners, this means most liquidity and trading pairs revolve around USD stables, influencing everything from meme token launches to cross-border payments.

The Boom in Tokenized Funds

Shifting gears, Token Terminal also spotlighted tokenized funds—traditional assets like treasury bills or money markets brought on-chain. Their assets under management (AUM) have skyrocketed over 10x since January 2024, from $600 million to $7.5 billion. This trend bridges traditional finance (TradFi) and crypto, allowing investors to earn yields on-chain with real-world assets.

Growth chart of tokenized funds AUM from 2024

Ethereum again leads with about 65% market share and a $4 billion edge over competitors like zkSync Era.

Leading Issuers in Tokenized Funds

BlackRock steals the show here with its $2.4 billion BUIDL money market fund, powered by Securitize and Wormhole. This entry of Wall Street giants like BlackRock into crypto is a massive vote of confidence, potentially paving the way for more institutional money.

Top issuers of tokenized funds, led by BlackRock's BUIDL

Other notable players include funds focused on treasury bills and money markets.

Popular Products: Tokenized Money Market Funds

The hottest product in this space? Tokenized money market funds (TMMFs). For instance, Spiko Finance's EUTBL is the first TMMF investing in EU Treasury Bills, offering yields backed by government securities—all on the blockchain.

Chart of tokenized money market funds and their growth

These innovations make it easier for anyone to access high-quality yields without leaving the crypto ecosystem.

What This Means for the Crypto Community

This thread from Token Terminal (view the original here) paints a picture of a maturing crypto market. With stablecoins and tokenized funds growing rapidly, we're seeing more stability and real-world utility. For meme token enthusiasts, this means better liquidity pools and trading environments on platforms like Solana, where many viral tokens thrive. If you're building or trading in blockchain, keeping tabs on these trends can give you an edge in navigating the next bull run.

For deeper dives, check out Token Terminal's dashboard on stablecoins and tokenized funds. Stay tuned to Meme Insider for more updates on how these developments intersect with the wild world of meme tokens.

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