The cryptocurrency market is changing very quickly, as shown by new predictions and stories of fortune. Citi has boosted its 2030 estimates for the amount of stablecoins that would be issued to multi-trillion-dollar levels, which suggests that they will be used more widely in global trade. At the same time, a new survey by Henley & Partners shows that the number of crypto millionaires throughout the world has grown by a huge amount. This shows that Bitcoin is still the main way that people make money online.
Citi Revises Stablecoin Forecast: Up to $4 Trillion by 2030
Citi’s latest report suggests that the stablecoin market is growing faster than most analysts had anticipated. At the start of 2025, issuance stood near $200 billion, but within months it had already climbed to about $280 billion. This momentum, according to Citi, reflects both growing institutional adoption and the role of stablecoins in enabling real-world payments on blockchain rails.
Looking ahead, Citi projects that by 2030 stablecoin issuance could reach $1.9 trillion in its base case and as much as $4 trillion in a bull case. That’s a sharp upward revision from earlier expectations of $1.6 trillion and $3.7 trillion. The report explains that if stablecoins circulate with a velocity similar to fiat currencies, they could support $100 trillion in annual transactions under the base case and nearly $200 trillion under the bull case. Such figures, Citi argues, indicate that blockchain-based payments are entering their “ChatGPT moment,” as digitally native companies rapidly integrate stablecoins into day-to-day commerce.
Bank Tokens May Surpass Stablecoins in the Long Run
While the stablecoin outlook is striking, Citi does not believe they will dominate the future of on-chain finance. The bank recognizes significant potential in bank tokens, including tokenized deposits, which may ultimately facilitate greater transaction volumes. For some businesses, bank tokens are important because they combine regulatory oversight with practical benefits like quick settlement and built-in compliance.
Citi believes that even a slight shift of traditional banking lines to blockchain networks could push the turnover of bank tokens to over $100 trillion a year by 2030. In other words, while stablecoins might capture headlines for their rapid growth, bank tokens could quietly become the backbone of large-scale financial transactions. The report also points out that most on-chain money continues to be denominated in U.S. dollars, which keeps Treasuries in high demand. At the same time, hubs such as Hong Kong and the UAE are emerging as important testing grounds for digital finance, showing that experimentation is not limited to Western markets.
Bitcoin Drives 40% Rise in Crypto Millionaires Around the World
Crypto wealth has surged to unprecedented levels, showing that the growth of digital finance extends far beyond just stablecoins. A key highlight from the Henley & Partners Crypto Wealth Report reveals that the number of individuals holding massive fortunes in cryptocurrency saw a dramatic jump in 2025. The survey reveals that the number of global crypto millionaires has jumped by nearly 40%, bringing the total to about 241,700 individuals worldwide. This sharp rise marks an important milestone, reflecting just how rapidly digital assets are creating new waves of wealth and reshaping the global financial landscape. Reaching more than $3.3 trillion in value by mid-2025, the digital asset market has once again approached peak levels.
When you look more closely at the numbers, you can see that Bitcoin is still the best way to make money. The number of Bitcoin millionaires rose by 70% annually to 145,100, largely due to the coin’s remarkable success between mid-2024 and mid-2025. Rapid growth has also been seen in even more exclusive levels of wealth. The ranks of Bitcoin billionaires increased by 55%, with 17 people now holding more than $1 billion in BTC, while the number of Bitcoin centimillionaires, or investors with more than $100 million in BTC, increased by 63% to 254. These numbers collectively demonstrate that Bitcoin is still the most valuable and significant asset in the digital economy.
Institutional Money Fuels the Rally
It’s not just individual investors driving this wave of wealth. Institutional inflows have provided strong momentum. In 2025, U.S.-based Bitcoin ETFs saw assets swell from $37.3 billion to $60.6 billion, reflecting a major boost in investor confidence. At the same time, institutions are spreading their bets. Spot Ether ETFs recorded a fourfold increase in inflows, climbing to $13.4 billion.
Hedge funds and advisory firms are also putting more money on the line. Advisory firms raised their ETH ETF holdings to $1.35 billion, and hedge funds raised their holdings to $688 million. These actions have helped keep crypto prices high and have led to a quick surge in the number of wealthy investors.
Henley & Partners still warn that wealth concentration is growing faster than adoption. The number of wealthy crypto holders has surged, but the total number of users only climbed by 5% in 2025, reaching about 590 million people around the world. The gap shows that a small group of people is still getting a lot of the digital wealth.
Where Crypto Wealth is Concentrated
The geography of crypto wealth also tells an interesting story. Traditional hubs like the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong remain dominant thanks to mature financial systems and regulatory clarity. Yet smaller nations are now stepping onto the stage. El Salvador, Panama, and Uruguay are attracting attention by crafting business-friendly policies and encouraging crypto adoption. Their proactive approach shows that the future of digital finance will not be dictated solely by established centers—it will also be shaped by emerging markets willing to innovate.
Bitcoin, Stablecoins, and Bank Tokens: A Converging Future
Both Henley’s research on wealth and Citi’s analysis on stablecoins illustrate that the financial system is shifting. Stablecoins are growing increasingly popular in online shopping, bank-issued tokens are poised to transform the way businesses operate, and Bitcoin remains the finest place to store digital value.
Experts call this change a coexistence model instead of a conflict between these new ideas. Stablecoins, bank tokens, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) will probably all work together, each doing a different job in the economy. Bitcoin is not only making super-rich investors, but it is also strengthening its reputation as the digital gold of our time.
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