Meme Insider
If you've been keeping an eye on the crypto space, you know that stablecoins are the quiet giants holding everything together. A recent post from Token Terminal highlights just how massive this sector has become, with tokenized assets under management (AUM) skyrocketing to around $400 billion. For those new to the term, tokenized AUM refers to the total value of real-world assets—like money market funds or currencies—that have been digitized on blockchain networks as tokens. This includes stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable fiat currencies like the US dollar to minimize volatility.
The chart shared in the original tweet breaks it down visually, showing the stacked growth of various stablecoins and funds across different blockchains from 2018 to early 2025. It's a colorful stack of layers, each representing a specific token deployment, like USDT on Ethereum or USDC on Solana. You can see the steady climb, with major players like USDT (Tether) dominating the early layers in green and blue hues.
Token Terminal simplifies the landscape into two main categories:
Standard Stablecoins (No Yield): These are your basic pegged tokens, like USDT or USDC, designed for stability and easy transactions without generating interest. They're essential for trading, payments, and escaping crypto's wild price swings.
Yield-Bearing Stablecoins (Tokenized Money Market Funds): Think of these as stablecoins on steroids. Built as tokenized versions of money market funds, they offer yields—essentially interest—while maintaining stability. Examples include some versions of USDY or tokenized funds that invest in short-term debt like Treasury bills.
This growth isn't just numbers on a chart; it's a sign of maturing blockchain tech. From barely scratching $0 in 2018 to over $300 billion by 2024, and pushing $400 billion in 2025, it's clear that tokenization is bridging traditional finance (TradFi) with decentralized finance (DeFi). Networks like Ethereum, Tron, Solana, and even layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum and Base are hosting these assets, making them accessible and efficient.
Now, how does this tie into meme tokens? At Meme Insider, we're all about those viral, community-driven coins that can moon or crash in a heartbeat. Stablecoins are the backbone here—they provide the liquidity pools on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) where meme tokens trade. Without stablecoins like USDC or USDT, swapping your favorite dog-themed token would be a nightmare of volatility. Plus, as tokenized AUM grows, it attracts more institutional money into crypto, which could spill over into meme ecosystems. Imagine yield-bearing stablecoins funding meme token launches or providing stable backing for meme-based DeFi projects.
Looking ahead, this trend points to more real-world assets (RWAs) getting tokenized, potentially including meme-inspired funds or NFT-backed assets. For blockchain practitioners, it's a reminder to dive into these tools: understand how to use stablecoins for hedging meme positions or even building your own tokenized projects.
Whether you're a meme token hodler or a DeFi enthusiast, keeping tabs on tokenized AUM is key to spotting the next big wave in crypto. What do you think—will yield-bearing stablecoins become the new norm for meme trading pairs?
