USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization, has been dropping market share in opposition to its primary rival, Tether’s USDt, on the key cost platform BitPay in 2025.
After dominating stablecoin transactions on BitPay in 2024, Circle’s USDC (USDC) noticed its transaction share plummet in opposition to Tether’s USDt (USDT), in keeping with BitPay information shared with Cointelegraph.
In January 2024, USDC’s transaction share on BitPay accounted for 85%, in contrast with USDT’s 13%. By Might 2025, USDC’s share had dropped to 56%, whereas USDT’s had elevated to 43%.
The change in dynamics got here regardless of the optimism round Circle’s public launch in early June in addition to sure regulatory advantages over Tether’s USDT, notably within the European Union beneath the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
Tether’s USDT prime stablecoin by quantity on BitPay
Along with narrowing the hole with its primary competitor by transaction rely, Tether’s USDT stablecoin has additionally led the way in which in cost quantity.
“In 2024, USDC was the token mostly used. Nevertheless, beginning in March of 2025, USDT gained a large share of transaction quantity, exceeding 70% of stablecoin quantity processed by BitPay,” the crypto cost agency stated.
In keeping with BitPay, the shift to UDST could be attributed to “each a development in general stablecoin transactions” in addition to a “swing in present retailers and prospects preferring USDT over USDC.”
BitPay’s chief income officer, Invoice Zielke, stated the platform has a “sizable base of customers and retailers in Europe,” however stays centered on rising in america.
“In 2024, USDC transaction rely was virtually double that of USDT,” Zielke famous, including that USDC continues to be the preferred stablecoin on BitPay by transaction rely, although it has tumbled in 2025.
Tether rejects each MiCA and a public launch
Tether’s main place in cost volumes and rising dominance in transaction rely on BitPay in opposition to USDC provide an attention-grabbing perception, given the various variations between Tether and Circle, together with their approaches to regulation.
Whereas Circle turned the primary world stablecoin issuer to receive regulatory approval under Europe’s MiCA in July 2024, Tether has repeatedly criticized some MiCA regulation aspects, explicitly refusing to adjust to the framework in Europe.
In June, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino additionally confirmed that Tether has no intention to run an initial public offering regardless of Circle debuting public buying and selling on June 5 after raising $1.05 billion in an upsized providing.
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Regardless of USDC dropping steam in opposition to USDT on BitPay in 2025, USDC has continued to see notable development in market capitalization prior to now 12 months.
In keeping with information from CoinGecko, USDC noticed its market cap surge as a lot as 88% prior to now 12 months from round $33 billion to its present $61.7 billion. Within the meantime, USDT increased its market worth by 40% over the identical interval, from $112.5 billion to $158.3 billion.
Moreover, USDC market cap has surged 41% year-to-date, whereas USDT market worth has edged up simply 15.5%.
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