How Stablecoin-Friendly Networks Will Benefit From IMF Vision of Digital Money AllinCrypto December 5, 2025
A new IMF report has highlighted the rapid growth and increasing influence of stablecoins in global finance.
Stablecoins processed over $23 trillion in trading volume in 2024, with activity expanding across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
As regulators begin recognizing stablecoins as legitimate payment instruments, blockchain networks optimized for real-world financial use, like Hedera, Stellar (XLM), XRP Ledger, Ethereum, and Circle’s upcoming payment network, could benefit the most.
IMF Says Stablecoins Will Bring Innovation and Risks
Stablecoins have the potential to transform cross-border payments, reduce transaction costs, and expand financial access in underserved regions, according to a blog post from the IMF.
The IMF report also focused on potential risks of stablecoins becoming more mainstream, including currency substitution, capital-flow volatility, and regulatory gaps, which could harm fiat.
Despite the potential risks, the IMF admitted that stablecoins are mostly backed by US Treasury bonds with main use cases in cross-border payments and micropayments.
Networks that emphasize compliance, governance, and transparency may be better positioned to navigate these challenges and expand the reach of stablecoins beyond traditional, slow systems.
Swift is working with Chainlink and Linea to create its own distributed ledger for payments, aiming to compete with the speed and efficiency of layer 1 networks.
Stablecoin regulation is in its infancy, so the ability to mitigate these risks remains uneven across countries. The IMF and the Financial Stability Board have issued recommendations to safeguard against currency substitution, maintain capital flow controls, address fiscal risks, ensure clear legal treatment and robust regulation, implement financial integrity standards, and strengthen global cooperation.
Certain layer 1 networks that meet finanical standards and compliance with TradFi markets may be set to benefit the most from stablecoins going mainstream.
Hedera’s high-throughput, low-fees, and enterprise-grade governance make it ideal for regulated stablecoin settlements. XRP Ledger’s sub-second finality and low costs align with the growing need for efficient cross-border payments with RLUSD and the XRP token.
Stellar’s network is already focused on financial inclusion and remittances, particularly in emerging markets, and has been collaborating with MoneyGram and PayPal to bring stablecoins into existing payment flows.
Ethereum, with its robust DeFi ecosystem and Layer-2 scaling solutions, continues to serve as a primary spot for stablecoin issuance, liquidity, and tokenized assets. Circle’s upcoming payment network will work with banks to make stablecoin integrations possible.
Already, Mastercard and Visa are exploring ways of integrating stablecoins into everyday payments, with supporting payment cards and token trials happening by 2026.
How Stablecoins Could Drive Adoption of Altcoin Networks
Cross-border remittances, corporate treasury operations, and on-chain liquidity markets are all areas where stablecoins could drive increased activity.
Emerging markets with unstable currencies or limited banking infrastructure may adopt stablecoins as a practical alternative, further boosting network usage on networks and boosting the market cap of stablecoins.
The usage of US stablecoins backed by real dollars can also have a positive impact on US treasuries. Realizing this, Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, aims to launch a digital euro by 2029.
It’s clear that stablecoin adoption is speeding up and tokens may be fully integrated into the existing finanical system before 2030. By providing a reliable, compliant platform for stablecoin transactions, networks like Hedera, Stellar, XRP Ledger, and Ethereum can position themselves as core infrastructure for the evolving financial system.
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