Stablecoin adoption in retail has reached new heights this year, with transaction volumes through August exceeding last year’s total, according to a fresh report from CEX.io.

Retail transfers, specifically those under $250, topped $5.84 billion in August alone, marking the highest figure ever recorded, based on data from Visa and Allium referenced in the report. With nearly four months remaining in the year, 2025 has already established itself as the busiest period for stablecoin transaction volumes at the consumer level.

What to know:

• Stablecoin transactions within the retail sector have surged, surpassing prior records.
• Users in emerging markets are increasingly relying on stablecoins to sidestep exorbitant bank fees and sluggish transfer times.
• The BNB Smart Chain has absorbed almost 40% of retail actions, while Tron has lost its market share.

Recent insights reveal that stablecoins have become an integral part of daily financial operations, spanning cross-border remittances to microtransactions, as outlined in the report. A survey conducted across emerging markets—with over 2,600 consumers from Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia—highlighted that many turned to stablecoins to evade high banking costs and delays in transactions. Nearly 70% of respondents reported increased usage of stablecoins relative to the prior year, with over 75% anticipating continued growth.

The report noted that the shifting landscape of blockchain activity indicates a decline for Tron, which has historically been favored for retail transfers due to its affordability and broad inclusion of Tether’s USDT. Monthly activity on Tron saw a 6% drop, translating to 1.3 million fewer transactions.

In contrast, Binance Smart Chain (BSC) has emerged as the preferred choice for retail users, accounting for nearly 40% of stablecoin transactions. The transaction count surged 75% this year, and overall transfer volumes rose by 67%, largely spurred by factors such as Binance’s delisting of USDT for European acts.

Moreover, the Ethereum ecosystem—with both its base and layer-2 networks—contributed to over 20% of total transaction volumes. While smaller transfers were predominantly routed through Layer 2 networks, the Ethereum mainnet experienced a significant uptick in retail activity, with sub-$250 transfers inflating by 81% in volume and 184% in count.

Though Ethereum has chiefly served larger value exchanges due to its high transaction fees, a 70% reduction in fees over the past year has made it increasingly competitive even for smaller transactions.