On-chain data reveal that the third quarter of 2025 brought historic growth in stablecoins. Net inflows surged by an astonishing 324% – jumping from $10.8 billion in Q2 to $45.6 billion in Q3. The main drivers were USDT, USDC, and the rapidly growing USDe from Ethena.
Tether, USDC, and USDe Lead the Record Growth
Analytics platform RWA.xyz reported that more than $46 billion poured into stablecoins over the past 90 days. Tether (USDT) took the largest share with $19.6 billion in inflows. Circle’s USDC followed with $12.3 billion, while the fast-rising USDe added another $9 billion.
Other issuers contributed smaller amounts. PayPal USD (PYUSD) increased by $1.4 billion, MakerDAO’s USDS added $1.3 billion, and both Ripple USD (RLUSD) and USDtb from Ethena recorded steady gains throughout the quarter.
DeFiLlama highlighted that Tether had already been the market’s primary growth engine since spring – boosting circulation by $9.2 billion in Q2 and then recording a massive $19.6 billion in Q3. USDC showed a dramatic turnaround, climbing from just $500 million in April–June to $12.3 billion. Ethena’s USDe jumped from $200 million to $9 billion in just one quarter.
Ethereum Remains the Hub of Stablecoin Activity
On-chain statistics confirm Ethereum as the dominant network for stablecoins, hosting over $171.3 billion in circulation. Tron ranked second with $76 billion, while Solana, Arbitrum, and BNB Chain collectively accounted for $29.7 billion.
Tether continues to dominate the market with nearly 59% share. Circle’s USDC holds around 25%, while Ethena’s USDe has already captured almost 5% of the market.
Market Cap Climbs While User Activity Declines
The total market capitalization of stablecoins increased by more than 5% in the past month, reaching nearly $297 billion. However, a paradox emerged – the number of active monthly addresses dropped by 22.6% to 26 million. Stablecoin transfer volume also declined year-over-year by 11% to $3.17 trillion.
This suggests that although record amounts of capital are flowing into stablecoins, their use in everyday transactions is not expanding at the same pace.
DeFi Spotlight: Aster Outpaces the Giants
Beyond stablecoins, protocol Aster has drawn attention. As of Monday, it became the world’s second-highest protocol by trading fees, generating $14.33 million in 24 hours – surpassing Circle and Uniswap.
In the DEX trading volume rankings, Aster climbed to 11th place with nearly $207 million in daily trades.
This development confirms that stablecoins are becoming a critical pillar of the crypto ecosystem. While capitalization grows sharply, the drop in user activity raises questions about whether stablecoins are shifting from a tool for everyday payments into a more institutional store of value.
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