According to Binance Research data, the total volume of perpetual futures contracts linked to traditional financial assets and settled in stablecoins soared beyond $1.1 trillion in the first half of 2026. This unprecedented milestone highlights the mounting centrality of stablecoins in tokenized finance markets.
Stablecoins grab a bigger share in futures markets
The report reveals that stablecoins have become the predominant payment and collateral instrument in perpetual futures contracts tied to traditional finance. As of the first five months of 2026, these instruments now account for roughly 11% of total crypto perpetual futures trading volume.
Perpetual futures, known for their lack of expiry date, are a widely-used derivative structure in the crypto market. Over recent months, this derivative model has gained prominence in products tokenizing stocks, indices, or similar assets backed by traditional finance.
Glossary: A perpetual futures contract is a derivative instrument with no set expiry date, differing from traditional futures. Tokenized finance refers to the digital representation of conventional assets on blockchain infrastructure.
Binance Research’s findings show that perpetual futures linked to traditional finance and settled in stablecoins are experiencing rapid growth, securing a significant share of the crypto derivatives market in early 2026.
Long-term shifts in investor behavior
Binance Research also notes that investors are increasingly treating stablecoins as more than short-term trading instruments: they are now seen as vehicles for long-term value preservation. Their survey indicates that 30% of Binance users currently hold more than half of their portfolio in stablecoins, up dramatically from just 4% in 2020.
This shift aligns with broader market trends. According to DefiLlama, global stablecoin market capitalization has climbed to around $311 billion, a notable jump from $254 billion a year ago. Trading volume has surged as well: Visa’s Allium-powered stablecoin dashboard reported an all-time high of $1.79 trillion in adjusted stablecoin volume for June, surpassing the previous record set in February.
| Metric | Before | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Global stablecoin market cap | $254 billion | $311 billion |
| Binance users holding over half of portfolio in stablecoins | 4%, 2020 | 30%, 2026 |
| Adjusted stablecoin volume | Previous high in February | $1.79 trillion in June |
Cross border use surges in Latin America
The research further highlights stablecoins’ growing popularity in cross border payments, especially across Latin America. In the last 12 months, adoption has accelerated sharply: Binance data shows the share of users in this region sending stablecoins rose from 17% in 2025 to 38% in 2026.
Analysts attribute this surge to an increased demand for faster, lower cost international transfers. The trend has also been observed by Mexican crypto exchange Bitso, whose 2025 figures show that stablecoins pegged to the US dollar accounted for 40% of crypto purchases on its platform. In contrast, Bitcoin’s share remained at just 18%.
The share of stablecoin transfer users in Latin America soared from 17% to 38% within a year, reinforcing the shift to more affordable international remittance channels.
Payment giants roll out new stablecoin products
This expansion has opened up fresh opportunities for issuers and payment companies alike. Back in May, former Bybit executive Claudia Wang calculated that stablecoin issuers have a $112 billion opportunity in remittance corridors beyond the US Mexico corridor alone.
Traditional money transfer firms have responded to the trend: Western Union in May enabled USDPT stablecoin transfers on the Solana network for cross border remittances. MoneyGram quickly followed, launching MGUSD on Stellar the following month and expanding blockchain based international payments via its consumer app.
