$4.5 trillion level signals: Stablecoins are becoming the "infrastructure" of global finance

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) latest research indicates that stablecoins are undergoing a critical transformation: from early trading tools and store-of-value assets to a layer of global financial infrastructure.
The report shows that, against the backdrop of gradually clearer regulations (including the GENIUS Act), stablecoins are entering a higher-frequency, more genuine usage phase:

In Q1 2026, the adjusted stablecoin transaction volume is approximately $4.5 trillion

Consumer-to-Business (C2B) transaction volume has increased by 128% year-over-year, reaching 284.6 million transactions

Stablecoin card project collateral deposits have grown from nearly zero to over $300 million

Circulation velocity has increased from 2.6 times to 6 times, significantly boosting usage frequency

Especially in regions like Asia and Brazil, stablecoins are upgrading from "cross-border payment tools" to part of local payment infrastructure.
From the data changes, a core trend can be seen: stablecoins are no longer just "money stored away," but are gradually becoming a "continuously flowing financial network."
As assets begin to flow at high frequency, their roles will also be redefined.
The real market change is often not in prices, but in the way they are used.
Many people are still paying attention to market fluctuations, but deeper changes are already happening within payment and settlement systems.
In the evolution of finance, the true long-term opportunities usually belong to those who can see the "infrastructure changes" early. 🚀