A new industry report from Australian cryptocurrency exchange Swyftx projects that stablecoins could facilitate $262 billion in gig and freelance payments by 2033, driven by rapid adoption among AI-native microbusinesses.
According to the report, the global gig and freelance payments market is forecast to reach $2.1 trillion by 2033, with workers leveraging artificial intelligence expected to contribute $775 billion of that total. Assuming a conservative 33% adoption rate of stablecoins within this segment, Swyftx estimates that $262 billion worth of transactions could be settled using digital dollar-pegged assets.
Pav Hundal, Chief Market Analyst at Swyftx, highlighted that microbusinesses—defined as those with fewer than five employees—are emerging as the fastest adopters of AI tools. This trend is fostering a new class of independent entrepreneurs who frequently invoice across borders. Hundal estimated there are currently between 6 million and 10 million such operators worldwide, a figure projected to surge to 17 million within the next decade.
The report underscores the inefficiencies of traditional cross-border payment systems, which often incur high fees and require multiple days for settlement. In contrast, stablecoin transfers conducted on Ethereum Layer 2 networks could slash transaction costs by 80% to 90%, offering a compelling alternative for gig workers and small businesses.
Swyftx further noted that if these projections hold, an institutional-grade settlement infrastructure—providing over-the-counter liquidity, custody, and yield-generating services tailored to stablecoin-based gig payments—could generate up to $1.3 billion in incremental revenue by 2033.
The report also pointed to broader momentum in the stablecoin sector: market capitalization has doubled over the past two years, and trading volume hit a record $1.79 trillion in June alone.