EY: The wave of stablecoin adoption is coming, with most institutions planning to deploy internally in the next year.

According to a survey released by EY-Parthenon on September 15, among Financial Institutions and enterprises that have not yet used stablecoins, most plan to start deploying this technology within the next six to twelve months. The survey of 350 decision-makers shows that 54% of non-stablecoin users expect to launch related applications by 2026, indicating that the adoption rate of stablecoins among global Financial Institutions and enterprises could significantly rise from the current 13%.

Cost reduction and efficiency improvement have become the main driving force

Companies generally regard reducing transaction costs and accelerating cross-border payments as the primary motivation for adopting stablecoins. Among existing stablecoin users, 41% of companies reported saving over 10% in costs compared to traditional payment methods. Cross-border supplier payments are the most common application scenario, accounting for 62% of existing applications.

Major stablecoins dominate the market

Survey data shows that the market has a clear preference for established stablecoins. Among existing users, the usage rate of USDC is as high as 77%, followed by USDT with a usage rate of 59%. The EURC, priced in euros, has also gained attention globally, with a usage rate of 45%.

Accelerating Layout with Clear Regulation

The "GENIUS Act" passed on July 18 has clearly boosted institutional interest in the stablecoin sector. Before the enactment of this legislation, 73% of institutions viewed regulatory uncertainty as the main barrier to adopting stablecoins (this survey was conducted in June 2025, just after the Senate approval and before the final passage). Financial institutions expect that by 2030, stablecoins will account for 5% to 10% of the global payment value, which, according to EY Parthenon, translates to a scale of $2.1 trillion to $4.2 trillion.

Traditional banks still play a key role

Companies show a strong preference for traditional banking collaboration models, with 63% of companies hoping to obtain stablecoin services through existing Financial Institutions. In response, Financial Institutions are planning to adopt hybrid solutions, with 53% of institutions planning to adopt both in-house solutions and vendor collaboration models.

System integration becomes the key to success, but trust issues remain

The integration capability remains central to the widespread adoption of stablecoins. 56% of enterprises prefer to embed stablecoin functionality into existing treasury management platforms via API. Approximately 70% of enterprises stated that their likelihood of adoption would significantly increase if stablecoins could be integrated into their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The survey also revealed that 87% of corporate respondents believe that adopting stablecoins could bring a competitive advantage, and 81% of enterprises plan to conduct formal return on investment analyses to quantify the potential benefits of deploying stablecoins.

Although institutions are open to adopting stablecoins, the survey also emphasizes that trust remains a significant challenge due to the reliance on traditional major participants behind these projects.

Conclusion

As the regulatory framework becomes increasingly clear and technology integration continues to mature, stablecoins are rapidly becoming an important component of the global payment system. In the coming year, the adoption rate at the institutional level is expected to reach a turning point, which could not only redefine the efficiency standards of cross-border transactions but also reshape the cooperative relationship between traditional finance and the digital currency ecosystem.