AI Agents and Stablecoins Reshape Global Payment Industry by 2025
The global payment industry is witnessing a seismic shift, driven by the rise of digital payments and innovative technologies like stablecoins and AI. By 2025, a staggering 81% of consumers expect to shop using AI agents, with over US$1 trillion in spending anticipated to be agent-assisted. Meanwhile, cross-border real-time payments are emerging as a viable alternative to traditional banking methods.
AI agents are increasingly prominent in the payment landscape, with potential applications ranging from budgeting and bill payments to dispute resolution and customer service. By 2025, these AI agents are expected to facilitate over half of today's total e-commerce expenditure. In the realm of digital currencies, US dollar-denominated stablecoins have achieved mainstream status, with a market capitalization of around US$210 billion and transaction volumes exceeding US$26 trillion in 2024.
Real-time account-to-account (A2A) transactions are gaining traction worldwide, with over 70 countries now having real-time systems in place. This represents around a quarter of global retail digital payments in 2024. The Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LatAm), the Middle East, and Africa are leading this adoption, with LatAm boasting the highest penetration at around 45%.
Tokenized real-world assets, including money market funds and private credit, have seen a nearly fourfold increase in market capitalization in just two years, reaching roughly US$28 billion. Meanwhile, cross-border real-time payments are poised to challenge traditional correspondent banking and SWIFT-based transfers. Initiatives like UPI International, Pix, and Project Nexus are already linking domestic instant payment systems across countries.
As the global payment industry continues to evolve, AI agents and digital currencies are reshaping the landscape. With over US$1 trillion in spending expected to be agent-assisted by 2025, and real-time A2A transactions gaining momentum, consumers and businesses alike stand to benefit from faster, more efficient, and innovative payment solutions.
