Halloween DealsAmazon USHalloween week deals: useful picks before month-endAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan NowHalloween DealsAmazon USOctober picks are moving - compare before checkoutAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
FREEDOM251

Freedom251 › Blog › Chainalysis

China’s P2P Stablecoin Activity Surged, but Wallet Growth Isn’t User Growth

By Freedom251 Team · · 3 min read

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Chainalysis reports that the number of unique wallets sending stablecoins peer to peer (P2P) in China grew 43 times from Q1 2024 to Q2 2026. That measures sending-wallet counts—not people, total holdings, or transaction volume—and the company says its China estimate is difficult to measure because crypto exchanges remain banned.

What Chainalysis measured—and what 43x means

The 43x figure compares the number of unique wallets that sent stablecoin P2P transactions in Q1 2024 with the number in Q2 2026. It does not mean there are 43 times as many Chinese crypto users, that wallet balances rose by that factor, or that transfer value increased 43-fold. Chainalysis published the figure in its October 5, 2026 East Asia Crypto Adoption Report.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The distinction matters because a person may use more than one wallet, and wallet counts do not reveal who controls an address. Chainalysis says its China estimate relies primarily on P2P activity because exchanges remain banned and local crypto flows are difficult to measure. The report’s article does not detail the wallet-labeling and estimation methodology, and the China-specific figures have not been independently reproduced in the material available here.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

How large was the activity in the report’s 2026 period?

Chainalysis defines its “2026 period” as July 2025 through June 2026. It estimates China’s crypto economy at at least $176 billion for that window, warning that the true size may be higher. The report says domestic P2P activity made up 59.1% of that estimated economy—3.5 times the share in the prior period. This is a share of estimated activity, not the 43x increase in unique sending wallets.

#1 Best Overall
Ledger Nano X - Classic Crypto Wallet with Bluetooth | Compact, go anywhere, 1.1" display. Desktop & iOS/Android compatible
  • Effortlessly build your crypto portfolio via the all in one Ledger Wallet app: buy, sell, send, receive, swap, stake and more across popular blockchains. 15,000+ coins & tokens in a single dashboard. Keep a close eye on the market. Compare service providers. Track performance. Get timely alerts. Build your portfolio with confidence.
  • Enjoy Bluetooth connectivity, iOS access, and hours of battery use with this mobile-first, secure backup signer. Freedom you can depend on.
  • Genuine Check: confirm your signer is authentic during setup with the Ledger Wallet app.
  • Protect your signer: keep it in mint condition at all times with a bespoke Pod or Case to avoid scratches and everyday wear and tear.

What the transfer and turnover figures show

For self-custodied stablecoins, Chainalysis reports average holdings of $3.1 billion in China during the period, with $104.1 billion moved across 18.1 million transfers. It calculates annual turnover at 33.2 times, compared with a global average of 9.3. The report also lists annual turnover of 9.9 in Japan, 6.1 in Hong Kong, 5.1 in South Korea, and 3.5 in Taiwan.

Turnover describes how much value moved relative to average holdings; it is not an additional estimate of how much people owned. Chainalysis says the high rate is consistent with stablecoins functioning as working capital or a payment rail. That is an interpretation of aggregate on-chain activity, not proof of the purpose or participants behind every transfer.

Rank #2
Sale
TANGEM Crypto Wallet Pack of 3 – Trusted Cold Storage Hardware Wallet | 100% offline; Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs & altcoins; No seed phrase; NFC; Pack of 3, Self custody wallet
  • Proven security at scale: Over 9 years and millions of cards issued with no known remote hacks, while military‑grade EAL6+ security keeps your private keys locked inside the chip. Your cryptocurrencies stay strongly protected from online attackers.
  • Tap once to manage your entire crypto wallet across 90 blockchains - no USB cables or Bluetooth, no batteries, no setup. Access 14,100+ coins & tokens, DeFi, NFTs, and staking instantly from your phone
  • Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
  • Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
  • Trusted by 6 million users worldwide (4.9 App Store, 4.8 Google Play) - buy, sell, swap, stake, and spend cryptocurrency directly. The secure offline storage wallet designed for how people actually use crypto wallets

Why does Chainalysis think P2P activity accelerated?

Chainalysis says domestic P2P activity began a sustained month-over-month rise in March 2025. It reports monthly activity additions of $240 million that month, rising to nearly $5 billion a year later. These are monthly additions, not cumulative totals. For March 2025, it reports transfer-volume growth of 996% for transfers under $100, 1,057% for $100–$1,000, and 1,321% for $1,000–$10,000.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The report notes that the acceleration began around March 2025, when it says China expanded social-credit policy into finance and the internet. It presents the possibility that this encouraged some people to seek alternatives to conventional payment rails as a working hypothesis, not an established cause. The reported timing does not by itself show that the policy change caused wallet growth, and the figures do not prove that all transfers were ordinary consumer payments or intended to bypass a particular restriction.

Rank #3
TANGEM Crypto Wallet Pack of 2 – Trusted Cold Storage Hardware Wallet | 100% offline; Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs & altcoins; No seed phrase; NFC, Self custody wallet
  • Seedless by design, nothing to steal: Your private key is generated inside the EAL6+ chip and never leaves it. No seed phrase is shown or typed at setup, so a tampered device, keylogger, or phishing site has nothing to capture. 9+ years, millions of card.
  • Tap once to manage your entire crypto wallet across 90 blockchains - no USB cables or Bluetooth, no batteries, no setup. Access 16,100+ coins & tokens, DeFi, NFTs, and staking instantly from your phone
  • Backup without a seed phrase: Your wallet is copied to 2 backup cards with end-to-end encryption, so there are no words on paper to lose or leak. Keep them in separate places; if one card is lost, the others restore full access. Optional seed phrase for advanced users.
  • Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
  • Trusted by 6 million users worldwide - buy, sell, swap, stake, and spend cryptocurrency directly. The secure offline storage wallet designed for how people actually use crypto wallets
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

How to read the finding amid crypto restrictions

Chainalysis describes China’s longstanding ban on crypto services as suppressing local flows and says exchanges remain banned. Its figures therefore offer a view of estimated on-chain and P2P activity, not a complete census of the country’s crypto use. The report is not legal guidance; readers should consult current official rules for questions about what is permitted.

The clearest takeaway is that Chainalysis observed a sharp increase in unique wallets sending stablecoin P2P transactions, alongside substantial estimated transfer activity and high turnover. The scale is notable, but the figures should be read as the company’s estimates, with wallet counts, transfer volumes, economic share, and proposed explanations kept distinct.

Best Value
Trezor Safe 7 Crypto Hardware Wallet with Bluetooth for Android/iOS/Desktop | Charcoal Black, Aluminum Unibody, 2,5" TouchScreen, Wireless Charging, Quantum-Ready, IP54, Long-Lasting LiFePO? Battery
  • Dual-chip architecture for maximum protection: The next-gen, fully auditable TROPIC01 chip works alongside a certified EAL6+ Secure Element—completely NDA-free—to deliver radically transparent, industry-leading defense against physical attacks.
  • Quantum-ready security: Get protection against future threats with the first-ever hardware wallet designed with quantum-ready architecture.
  • See every detail with confidence: Our largest high-resolution color touchscreen makes it easy to navigate your assets, review transactions and manage your coins with clarity.
  • Wireless freedom with encrypted Bluetooth control: Manage, buy, swap and stake securely using Trezor Suite on desktop or mobile. Qi2-compatible wireless charging keeps your Trezor powered up. No cables required—security meets convenience.
  • Works seamlessly with Android, iOS and desktop: Connect wirelessly or via USB-C to your phone or computer. Manage your crypto anywhere with our companion Trezor Suite app.
Rank #4
DCENT Hardware Wallet | Biometric Cold Storage, Bluetooth, Multi-Crypto
  • EAL5+ CERTIFIED SECURE ELEMENT + FINGERPRINT PROTECTION — Your private keys stay encrypted offline on a certified EAL5+ chip, the same security tier used in EMV bank cards. Built by DCENT, securing crypto since 2018. Fingerprint authentication adds a second layer no PIN-only wallet can match.
  • 10,000+ ASSETS NATIVE ON 100+ BLOCKCHAINS — Hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Cardano, popular stablecoins (USDT, USDC), and NFTs in one wallet. No third-party apps, no fragmented setup — every supported asset works straight out of the box.
  • TAP-TO-SIGN MOBILE EXPERIENCE — Pair your wallet with the DCENT mobile app over Bluetooth. Manage tokens, review transactions, and access in-app swap features directly from your phone — no cables, no desktop required.
  • WEB3 & dAPP ACCESS VIA METAMASK — Connect to MetaMask and other browser extension wallets to manage NFTs, claim airdrops, and access dApps. A large screen and intuitive 4-button interface keep every transaction clearly visible before you sign.
  • SEAMLESS FIRMWARE UPDATES & 30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE — Apply security updates without resetting your wallet or migrating funds. Backed by Amazon's 30-day money-back guarantee — your purchase is risk-free.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

ChainalysisChinacryptocurrencyP2P paymentsStablecoins

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.