An estimated $60 billion was spent on remittance fees in 2025 — a figure Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says could collapse toward zero as stablecoin rails replace legacy transfer networks. The argument is straightforward: stablecoin transactions settle in seconds for fractions of a cent, cutting out the correspondent banks and money-transfer operators that capture today's fee load.
For $USDC and $USDT, remittances represent one of the clearest real-world demand drivers outside of trading. If even a fraction of that $60 billion shifts on-chain, the volume implications for dollar-pegged stablecoins are substantial.
Frequently asked questions
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How do stablecoins reduce remittance fees compared to traditional methods?
Stablecoins enable transactions to settle in seconds for fractions of a cent, eliminating the need for correspondent banks and money-transfer operators, which currently account for high remittance fees.
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What impact could the shift to stablecoins have on the demand for $USDC and $USDT?
If a portion of the $60 billion remittance market moves to stablecoins, it could significantly increase the transaction volume and demand for dollar-pegged stablecoins like $USDC and $USDT.