Stablecoins Poised to Capture Trillions in Freelance Payments

The global gig and freelance payments market is expected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2033, according to Australian crypto exchange Swyftx. The firm estimates that AI-native workers will account for a significant portion of this growth, with their payment volume projected to hit $775 billion by the same year.

A base-case model by Swyftx suggests that 33% of the AI-native cohort's payment volume could be settled in stablecoins, which would amount to $262 billion. This estimate is based on an assumption of increasing adoption rates for stablecoins, particularly among solo entrepreneurs and small firms.

Pav Hundal, lead market analyst at Swyftx, believes that the growth of AI-native workers and their use of stablecoins could have a significant impact on the payment landscape. He notes that traditional cross-border rails are often slow and expensive, while stablecoin transfers can cut fees by 80% to 90%, saving freelancers thousands of dollars in annual transfer fees.