The trading volume of stablecoins exceeded US$1.1 trillion! What does this mean for investors?

The trading volume of stablecoin futures exceeded US$1.1 trillion

According to Binance research data, in the first half of 2026, the total trading volume of perpetual contracts linked to traditional financial assets and settled in stablecoins soared to more than US$1.1 trillion. This unprecedented milestone highlights the increasingly important central position of stablecoins in tokenized financial markets.

Stable coins occupy a larger share of the futures market

The report shows that stable coins have become the main payment and collateral instrument in perpetual contracts linked to traditional finance. As of the first five months of 2026, these instruments accounted for approximately 11% of the total trading volume of cryptocurrency perpetual contracts.

Perpetual contracts, known for their non-expiration date, are widely used derivative structures in the cryptocurrency market. In recent months, this derivative model has become increasingly popular among stocks, indices or products similar to the tokenization of traditional financial assets.

Explanation of terms: Perpetual contracts are derivative instruments with no fixed maturity date, which are different from traditional futures. Tokenized finance refers to the digital representation of traditional assets on blockchain infrastructure.

Data from Binance Research shows that perpetual contracts linked to traditional finance and settled in stablecoins are experiencing rapid growth, accounting for a significant share of the cryptocurrency derivatives market in early 2026.

Long-term shifts in investor behavior

Binance Research also points out that investors are gradually viewing stablecoins as long-term stores of value, rather than just short-term trading tools. Its survey shows that 30% of Binance users currently hold more than half of their investment portfolios as stablecoins, a significant increase from 4% in 2020.

This shift is consistent with broader market trends. According to DefiLlama, the market value of global stablecoins has climbed to approximately US$311 billion, a significant increase from US$254 billion a year ago. Trading volume also surged: Visa\'s Allium-based stablecoin dashboard showed adjusted stablecoin trading volume hit a record high of $1.79 trillion in June, surpassing the previous record set in February.

Data comparison: The market value of global stablecoins has increased from US$254 billion to US$311 billion; in 2020, only 4% of Binance users will hold more than half of their investment portfolios in stablecoins, and in 2026 this proportion will reach 30%; adjusted stablecoin trading volume previously recorded in February, while reaching US$1.79 trillion in June.

Cross-border use surges in Latin America

Research also highlights the growing popularity of stablecoins in cross-border payments, especially in Latin America. Adoption rates have accelerated sharply in the past 12 months: Binance data shows that the proportion of users sending stablecoins in the region has increased from 17% in 2025 to 38% in 2026.

Analysts attributed the surge to increased demand for faster, lower-cost international transfers. Mexican cryptocurrency exchange Bitso has also observed this trend. Its 2025 data shows that stablecoins pegged to the US dollar account for 40% of its platform\'s cryptocurrency purchases, while Bitcoin\'s share is only 18%.

The proportion of stablecoin transfer users in Latin America has soared from 17% to 38% in one year, further confirming the shift of users to more affordable international remittance channels.

Payments giant launches new stablecoin products

This expansion brings new opportunities to issuers and payment companies. Back in May, former Bybit executive Claudia Wang estimated that stablecoin issuers had US$112 billion in market opportunities in remittance channels outside the U.S. -Mexico Corridor alone.

Traditional remittance companies have responded to this trend: Western Union allowed cross-border USDPT stablecoin transfers through the Solana network in May. MoneyGram followed closely, launching MGUSD on the Stellar network the following month and expanding blockchain-based international payments through its consumer apps.