Small AI Businesses May Generate $262 Billion in Stablecoin Volume by 2033

Artificial intelligence-powered small businesses and freelancers could significantly increase stablecoin transaction volumes, according to a new industry forecast.

Australian crypto exchange Swyftx estimated in its second-quarter industry report that the global gig and freelance payments market will reach $2.1 trillion by 2033, Cointelegraph reported on July 13. Of that total, AI-powered workers are expected to account for $775 billion. If about 33% of those workers adopt stablecoins, roughly $262 billion of payments could be settled using them, the report found.

Pav Hundal, Swyftx's lead market analyst, said the AI economy could be a major growth driver for stablecoin use. Adoption does not happen simply because the technology exists, he said. It takes strong economic incentives and a clear regulatory environment. Stablecoins are increasingly meeting both conditions, he added.

The report said microbusinesses with fewer than five employees are moving fastest to adopt AI. These firms frequently send invoices across borders and process small payments, but traditional banking and payments infrastructure is not built for that type of activity, Swyftx said. The number of solo AI entrepreneurs worldwide now ranges from 6 million to 10 million and could rise to 17 million over the next decade.

Many of those solo founders are highly sensitive to cross-border remittance fees and transaction costs, Hundal said, making them a potentially sizable market for stablecoins.

Swyftx said stablecoin transfers on Ethereum Layer 2 networks could reduce traditional international remittance fees by 80% to 90%. It also said AI agents are likely to use crypto as a payment method because they cannot open bank accounts, providing another potential driver of stablecoin transaction growth.

If that forecast is realized, institutional payments infrastructure could generate as much as $1.3 billion in new revenue by 2033, including over-the-counter liquidity provision, custody and yield services for payment platforms, Swyftx said.