- AI-powered microbusinesses could generate $262B in stablecoin payment volume by 2033, Swyftx forecasts.
- Swyftx says AI-native freelancers will drive stablecoin adoption with faster, lower-cost cross-border payments.
- The report also sees AI agents and institutional crypto services fueling long-term stablecoin market growth.
AI-powered microbusinesses could become a major driver of stablecoin adoption over the next decade. Australian crypto exchange Swyftx projects they will generate $262 billion in stablecoin payment volume by 2033 as freelancers seek faster and cheaper ways to send cross-border payments.
The forecast came in Swyftx’s second-quarter industry report, which explores the overlap between artificial intelligence, the gig economy, and digital payments.
AI Freelancers to Drive Stablecoin Growth
According to Swyftx, the global gig and freelance payments market will grow to $2.1 trillion by 2033. AI-native workers are expected to account for about $775 billion of that total.
Assuming stablecoins capture around 33% of those payments, the exchange estimates that $262 billion will be settled with stablecoins.
Pav Hundal, Swyftx’s lead market analyst, said the rise of AI-driven businesses could significantly boost stablecoin adoption. “We see the vibe-coding and AI economy as a significant potential tailwind for stablecoin use,” Hundal said.
He added that wider adoption will depend on strong economic incentives and regulatory clarity, both of which are increasingly improving.
Solo Entrepreneurs Create New Demand
The report says businesses with fewer than five employees are among the fastest adopters of AI. This is creating a growing class of solo entrepreneurs serving clients worldwide.
These AI-powered freelancers often invoice customers across borders and receive relatively small payments. Swyftx argues traditional banking systems do not serve this segment well.
The exchange estimates that there are currently 6 million to 10 million AI-native solo founders globally. That figure could rise to 17 million over the next decade.
Hundal said these entrepreneurs are especially sensitive to remittance and transaction costs, making stablecoins an attractive option for international payments.
Stablecoins Cut Costs and Speed Up Payments
Swyftx said traditional cross-border payment systems still suffer from high fees, slow settlement times, and limited access in more than 50 countries.
Related: Hyundai Card Completes Stablecoin Cross-Border Payment Pilot
By comparison, stablecoin transfers on Ethereum layer-2 networks can cut transaction costs by 80% to 90%. According to the report, the average freelancer could save about 86% a year on transfer fees.
The exchange also highlighted the sector’s rapid growth. Stablecoin market capitalization has doubled over the past two years, while monthly transaction volume reached a record $1.79 trillion in June. Swyftx said this reflects rising demand for blockchain-based payments.
Institutions and AI Agents Could Add More Growth
Beyond payment volume, Swyftx said institutional services such as over-the-counter liquidity, custody, and yield products for payment platforms could generate up to $1.3 billion in annual revenue by 2033. The estimate assumes combined transaction and custody fees of 0.5%.
The report also identified autonomous AI agents as another long-term growth driver. Since AI agents cannot open traditional bank accounts, Swyftx expects them to rely on crypto assets and stablecoins to send and receive payments as agentic AI becomes more widely adopted.
Related: Ethereum Foundation Uses AI Agents to Find Protocol Bugs, Says Human Review Remains Critical
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