Ethereum stablecoin transfer volume soared to a record $8 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025, nearly doubling the prior quarter’s figure and underscoring the network’s pivotal role in global on-chain payments. Token Terminal data highlights this milestone, achieved amid all-time highs in daily transactions at 2.23 million and monthly active addresses reaching 10.4 million. The surge reflects robust adoption for settlements, DeFi activity, and real-world asset tokenization, outpacing traditional systems like Visa in quarterly settlement value.
Stablecoin issuance on Ethereum climbed 43% throughout 2025, expanding from $127 billion to $181 billion by year-end, according to reports Tether’s USDT dominates with over half its $187 billion supply on Ethereum, securing 57% of total stablecoin market share ahead of Tron’s 27%. Unique daily active addresses as senders or receivers topped 1 million in late December, up 48% year-over-year, signalling sustained real-world utility beyond speculation.
BREAKING: The stablecoin transfer volume on @ethereum surpassed $8 trillion in Q4, marking a new all-time high. pic.twitter.com/CzXBO9bt0W— Token Terminal 📊 (@tokenterminal) January 4, 2026
Ethereum transactions, addresses peak amid RWA leadership.
Ethereum’s network metrics peaked alongside the stablecoin boom, with Etherscan confirming 2.23 million daily transactions in late December—48% above last year’s levels. Token Terminal notes monthly active addresses at a record 10.4 million, while unique sender/receiver addresses exceeded 1 million daily. The network commands 65% of on-chain RWA value at $19 billion per RWA.xyz, rising to 70% including Layer-2 and EVM chains, positioning Ethereum as the prime settlement layer for tokenized assets like U.S. Treasuries.
This dominance persists despite competition, with Solana’s RWA value hitting $873 million in December, far behind Ethereum’s $12.3 billion, highlighting Ethereum’s institutional edge entering 2026. Upgrades like Pectra, implemented in May 2025, enhanced scalability and validator efficiency, supporting the volume spike. Observers note this reflects “global payments happening on-chain” pre-major integrations like full RWA tokenization and SWIFT-style rails.
