Ethereum has made headlines once again, recording over $8 trillion in stablecoin transfers during the fourth quarter of 2025. This astonishing figure reflects a nearly 100% increase from the $4 trillion seen in the second quarter, marking a significant milestone for the blockchain network.
According to data from Token Terminal, the dramatic rise in stablecoin transfer volume underscores Ethereum’s status as the leading settlement layer for transactions involving digital dollars around the world. Analysts suggest that this surge indicates a shift towards practical use cases of cryptocurrencies, moving beyond speculative trading often associated with the crypto market.
One market analyst highlighted on X, “This is global payments happening on-chain,” suggesting a rapid pace of broader adoption for Ethereum among various user demographics. With institutional adoption still in its infancy, there remains ample opportunity for further volume expansion as we head into 2026.
In addition to soaring transfer volumes, the year 2025 proved fruitful for Ethereum’s stablecoin supply, which rose by 43%, climbing from $127 billion to an impressive $181 billion. This notable increase aligns with the uptick in transaction activity across the board.
In late December, Ethereum recorded an all-time high of 2.23 million daily transactions, marking a remarkable 48% increase year-over-year. Furthermore, the number of monthly active addresses on the Ethereum network peaked at 10.4 million, with over one million unique senders and receivers engaging with the blockchain.
Ethereum continues to dominate the landscape for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, making up around 65% of the total RWA value across all blockchains. As per RWA.xyz, the total value of on-chain RWAs reached approximately $19 billion by the end of the year. When including layer-2 solutions and EVM-compatible chains, Ethereum’s share has risen above 70%, solidifying its role in hosting tokenized real-world assets beyond just stablecoin transfers.
Adding to the excitement, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced that the blockchain has effectively resolved the renowned blockchain trilemma—balancing decentralization, scalability, and security. Through advancements such as PeerDAS and zkEVMs, which were launched with the recent Fusaka upgrade, Ethereum is set to enhance its performance while maintaining efficiency.
Buterin mentioned on X, “Now, Ethereum with PeerDAS and ZK-EVMs… we get: decentralized, consensus and high bandwidth,” stressing that this achievement transcends theoretical concepts and is backed by fully functioning code.
PeerDAS enables efficient data verification without the need to download entire datasets, thereby minimizing hardware requirements and boosting data throughput—a vital factor given the growing transaction volumes on Ethereum.
Moreover, zkEVMs leverage zero-knowledge proofs while ensuring compatibility with Ethereum’s existing virtual machine. Although still in the alpha stage in terms of security, these innovations are already delivering performance that aligns with Ethereum’s future scalability ambitions.
As Ethereum wraps up 2025 with unprecedented stablecoin transfer figures and exciting technological advancements, the stage is set for another transformative year ahead in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
