Introduction to Ethereum stablecoins
Ethereum stablecoins are crypto assets pegged to fiat currencies, primarily aimed at maintaining a stable coin value. They are widely used in decentralized finance, cross-border payments, and trading, providing users with low volatility and high liquidity financial tools.
Core stablecoin types
- USDC (USD Coin): Centralized issuance, mainly used for trading and payments.
- DAI: Decentralized issuance, stabilizing the value of the stablecoin through smart contracts.
- USDT (Tether): Supports multiple chains and is the mainstream choice for trading and payments.
Market Status
In August 2025, the price of Ethereum is about $4,311.16, with a total market capitalization of approximately $520.39 billion. The total market capitalization of stablecoins on Ethereum is around $143.364 billion, accounting for about half of the global stablecoin market. USDC and DAI are widely used and are core assets in DeFi activities.
Main Application
- DeFi lending and trading: stablecoins are the underlying assets on which the protocol operates.
- Cross-border payments: Providing a high-efficiency, low-cost global payment method.
- Base currency for trading pairs: provides stable liquidity for digital asset trading.
Development Challenges
- Regulatory risks: Policies regarding stablecoins are unclear in various countries.
- Technical risk: Smart contract vulnerabilities may lead to financial losses.
- Competitive pressure: Other chain stablecoins may divert users.
Future trends
Ethereum 2.0 and Layer 2 technologies will improve transaction speed and cost. As global acceptance of digital currencies increases, the application of Ethereum stablecoins in financial payments, DeFi, and other areas may become more widespread.