Asia is leading the world in real-world stablecoin adoption. According to our 2025 State of Stablecoins report, 56% of institutions in the region are already live—the highest adoption rate globally. Another 40% are either piloting or planning implementation, making stablecoins a foundational layer of Asia’s evolving payments infrastructure.
Across markets like Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, institutions are moving quickly—not just to explore stablecoins, but to scale them. Whether it’s supporting cross-border growth, managing liquidity at scale, or responding to customer demand, stablecoins are becoming central to how institutions operate across the region.
Why Asia, Why Now?
Stablecoins are now a strategic lever for institutions across Asia—especially when it comes to growth. Nearly 49% of Asian respondents cite expansion into new markets as their primary driver.
That’s because Asian payment service providers, fintechs, and banks understand that their clients—whether individual freelancers, major ecommerce platforms, or steel exporters—are cross-border by default. Stablecoins offer the speed and reach they need to stay competitive in a global economy.
As Eric Barbier, CEO of Triple-A, says in the report: “Global trade corridors move billions daily—and now they’re doing it faster with stablecoins. Adoption is being driven by traditional B2B players like ship brokers and steel traders, not just crypto or tech firms. The infrastructure is in place, and the value is clear.”
Execution Requires Readiness—Asia Has It
Asia’s lead in live adoption is built on infrastructure. 85% of respondents in the region have established partnerships to support stablecoin use, and 78% say their infrastructure—wallets, APIs, and compliance workflows—is ready.
Another 78% report clear customer demand. And it’s easy to see why. Roughly 77 million people in the region earn their living in the gig economy, with many working multiple gigs on one of Southeast Asia’s superapps like Grab and Gojek. Traditional remittance add fees and days to getting their money. Now, a Filipino web designer who receives a $1,000 payment in USDC can access those funds within minutes on a local crypto wallet like Coins.ph.
What’s happening in Asia isn’t preparation—it’s execution at scale, driven by customer demand.
Moving Capital, Not Just Payments
Liquidity management is the leading benefit driving stablecoin adoption in Asia, cited by 41% of institutions in our report. That emphasis reflects a strategic focus on unlocking the velocity of money—releasing capital from traditional settlement cycles so it can move faster and be reused across more transactions. By contrast, just 25% of respondents pointed to lower fees, highlighting that institutions are prioritizing financial efficiency over marginal cost savings.
That focus on liquidity management is also reshaping infrastructure priorities. For institutions handling high volumes of inflows and payouts—whether it’s micro-payments for a gaming platform or large-scale B2B transfers—efficient on/off ramps are critical to keeping capital in motion. 44% of respondents ranked them as their top infrastructure need, followed by fast and reliable payouts (34%) and liquidity depth (32%).
The message is clear: capital velocity is a crucial driver.
From Momentum to Maturity
Stablecoins in Asia have moved well beyond the pilot phase. Institutions across the region are scaling deployments, driven by tangible business outcomes—from meeting customer demand to optimizing capital flow across borders. This acceleration is being further supported by regulatory developments in key markets like Hong Kong and South Korea, where frameworks for stablecoin issuance and oversight are rapidly taking shape.
What we’re seeing now is not experimentation, but infrastructure taking root.
At Fireblocks, we’re seeing this shift firsthand—supporting over 300 payment companies and banks globally, including many in Asia, as they operationalize stablecoin strategies at scale. The institutions leading this shift are no longer asking whether stablecoins will play a role in the future of finance. They’re asking how fast they can expand their use.
The future isn’t coming. It’s scaling.
Ready to scale stablecoin adoption? Schedule a demo or connect with our team to learn how Fireblocks can help.
