Gate News message, April 16 — The stablecoin market surged $2.25 billion in a single week to reach an all-time high of approximately $322 billion, with Q1 2026 trading volume reaching $8.3 trillion, signaling renewed momentum in the broader crypto market. Stablecoin dominance has risen to 13% of total crypto market value despite a 21% contraction in the wider crypto sector.
Circle’s USDC supply increased 220% to approximately $78 billion since late 2023, with $2 billion added in Q1 2026. In contrast, USDT shed $3 billion in supply during Q1 2026 but retained market leadership with 59.18% market share. Active USDT addresses increased 30% to 2.87 million, while transaction volume surged 140% to $60.4 billion over the past 30 days.
Yield-bearing stablecoins fueled more than half of the net stablecoin supply increase in Q1 2026, growing 22% and adding $4.3 billion in market cap. USDY surged over 150% during the quarter, while sUSDS added $2.5 billion, accounting for more capital inflow than the next four yield-bearing stablecoins combined. The yield-bearing stablecoin subsector, currently valued at $3.7 billion, is projected to triple later this year.
Stablecoin transaction activity reached a new ATH in Q1 2026 with total volume jumping 51% to surpass $28 trillion. However, approximately 76% of all stablecoin transaction volume was driven by bots, the highest level since Q2 2024. USDC transfers accounted for 80% of total stablecoin transaction volume and 85% of all bot-driven activity, while USDT organic volume declined 17%.
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