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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a warning in its December 2025 report, highlighting the potential risks posed by USD-pegged stablecoins to emerging markets (EMs). The report argues that these stablecoins could encourage currency substitution and facilitate capital outflows in countries with fragile economies.
Stablecoins and Currency Substitution Risks
The IMF’s report points out that stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar could prompt currency substitution in countries with high inflation or unstable currencies. This could lead locals to move away from their national currency and adopt dollar-pegged stablecoins instead. The result would be a reduction in the control central banks have over their monetary systems, undermining national economic stability.
Stablecoins like USDT and USD Coin (USDC) are already widely used for crypto trading and cross-border transactions. The IMF expresses concern that as stablecoin use increases, it could erode local currencies’ value in vulnerable economies. This trend could be especially damaging in emerging markets where inflationary pressures already weaken the purchasing power of the national currency.
These risks are compounded by the fact that stablecoins can be easily used to bypass capital flow management measures (CFMs) designed to control the movement of money across borders. The IMF warns that such measures could be undermined, making it easier for capital to flow out of countries experiencing economic turmoil. This could worsen financial crises, as locals may choose stablecoins as a safer option than their national currency.
Stablecoins' Limited Market Impact
Despite the IMF's concerns, some experts argue that the stablecoin market is not large enough to have a substantial impact on emerging markets. According to Noelle Acheson, author of Crypto is Macro Now, stablecoins still represent a small portion of global currency flows. Acheson response to CoinDesk points out that stablecoins are primarily used within the crypto space and not as a widespread alternative to fiat currencies.
She further explains that while the market for stablecoins has grown from $5 billion in 2020 to nearly $300 billion in 2025, it remains a niche market mainly used for crypto trading. Stablecoins are often used to fund crypto purchases on exchanges like Binance, which means their use is still primarily confined to the crypto sector. Acheson suggests that it is too early to expect stablecoins to play a major role in global financial systems or to drive significant capital outflows in emerging markets.
David Duong, head of institutional research at Coinbase, shares a similar view. He argues that stablecoins are unlikely to create systemic risks for emerging markets due to their limited scale. Duong points out that traditional financial mechanisms, such as bond and equity redemptions, continue to dominate capital flows. This suggests that stablecoins alone are unlikely to have a dramatic effect on macroeconomic stability in the short term.
The Current State of Stablecoin Flows
Data from the IMF reveals that stablecoin cross-border flows have surpassed those of unbacked cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, since early 2022. While stablecoins’ total market share in the crypto space remains small, their use in cross-border payments has been growing steadily. The Asia-Pacific region leads the world in terms of stablecoin volumes, but emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) represent a larger share of total stablecoin flows when adjusted for GDP.
In EMDEs, stablecoins have become a popular tool for transactions and capital movement, particularly in countries facing inflation or currency depreciation. As these markets rely on North American stablecoin inflows, the demand for dollar-pegged assets remains strong. While the overall volume of stablecoin transactions in these regions is still small compared to global payments, their role in EMDEs’ financial systems continues to expand.
Emerging markets are particularly vulnerable to shifts in capital flows due to the rising use of stablecoins. The IMF report highlights that if a macroeconomic panic were to occur, the movement of capital through stablecoins could exacerbate financial instability. This could accelerate outflows from countries already struggling with currency depreciation or economic stress.
Dollar-Pegged Stablecoins and the Global Economy
The IMF also draws attention to the massive scale of the U.S. dollar in the global economy. While stablecoins such as USDT and USDC offer an alternative to traditional currency systems, the dollar remains far more entrenched.
The global monetary base of the U.S. dollar, which includes physical cash and reserves, exceeds $2.5 trillion, dwarfing the total value of stablecoins. Despite their growing popularity, stablecoins represent a small fraction of global currency and financial systems. The scale of the dollar’s influence in international markets continues to outweigh the impact of stablecoins.
In conclusion, while the IMF has raised valid concerns about the potential risks of USD-pegged stablecoins, experts maintain that their current market size and use are insufficient to create substantial macroeconomic consequences. As stablecoins grow in use, their role in global finance will continue to evolve. However, for now, their impact on emerging markets remains limited.