Visa survey finds 46% of Asia-Pacific consumers likely to use stablecoins by 2031

A Visa survey released on October 5, 2026 reveals that 46% of Asia-Pacific consumers are likely to adopt stablecoins within five years, up from 16% who used them over the past year. While interest in cross-border transfers and everyday spending is high, only 6% of respondents accurately understand how stablecoins function, with 41% falsely believing their value always rises and 38% citing fraud as a key barrier. To address this demand, Visa and partners StraitsX and Reap are expanding payment networks.

Stablecoin usage and adoption intent in Asia-Pacific

• ▪Only 16% of Asia-Pacific consumers surveyed by Visa reported using stablecoins in the 12 months prior to the June–July 2026 study.
• ▪In Vietnam and India, 67% of consumers surveyed by Visa reported intending to use stablecoins in the future, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.
• ▪A Visa Consumer 360 survey released on October 5, 2026 found that 46% of Asia-Pacific consumers are likely to use stablecoins within the next five years.
• ▪Visa's Consumer 360 survey gathered responses from 14,250 consumers aged 18 to 65 across 14 Asia-Pacific markets between June and July 2026.

Consumer awareness and knowledge gaps

• ▪Consumer awareness of stablecoins reached 84% in Hong Kong, 80% in India, and 77% in Thailand in Visa's June–July 2026 survey.
• ▪Only 6% of Asia-Pacific consumers surveyed by Visa demonstrated an accurate understanding of how stablecoins function, despite 66% reporting overall familiarity.
• ▪According to Visa's Consumer 360 survey, 41% of all Asia-Pacific respondents mistakenly believed that the value of stablecoins always rises.
• ▪Among Asia-Pacific consumers aware of stablecoins, 49% believed stablecoins could only be used for buying and selling other cryptocurrencies, according to Visa's study.

Key barriers to stablecoin adoption

• ▪Concerns about fraud and scams were cited by 38% of non-user Asia-Pacific consumers aware of stablecoins as their primary barrier to adoption, according to Visa.
• ▪Among non-user Asia-Pacific consumers aware of stablecoins in Visa's survey, 36% cited a lack of understanding as an obstacle to adoption.

Preferred consumer use cases for stablecoins

• ▪In Visa's Consumer 360 survey, 49% of Asia-Pacific consumers stated that stablecoins could become a mainstream tool for cross-border transfers within five years.
• ▪Asia-Pacific consumers surveyed by Visa expressed interest in using stablecoins for routine online purchases, travel spending, and overseas shopping.

Visa stablecoin network expansion

• ▪Visa is seeking to support a wider range of tokens and blockchains as it expands its stablecoin settlement network.
• ▪Visa is expanding its network by connecting banks and financial firms to stablecoin payment and settlement systems across the Asia-Pacific region.

Stablecoin initiatives by Visa partners

• ▪Visa partner Reap is preparing local-currency stablecoins for 24-hour onchain foreign-exchange settlement in Asia, including potential Hong Kong dollar, won, and yen tokens.
• ▪Visa partner StraitsX is reviewing a Mexican peso-denominated stablecoin and 24-hour foreign-exchange settlement using South Korean won, Hong Kong dollar, and Japanese yen.

Debatable claims

• ▪Integrating stablecoins into legacy card networks gives consumers a false sense of security
• ▪Stablecoins are a superior alternative to traditional interbank settlement systems
• ▪Widespread consumer misunderstanding makes stablecoins unsafe for mainstream Asia-Pacific retail payments