American interest in using stablecoins rises from 36% to 56% if the digital tokens feature traditional bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, according to Visa's "Money Travels 2026" report published Wednesday.
Consumer Trust and Knowledge Deficits
The study, conducted by Morning Consult between February 24 and March 2, surveyed 2,192 U.S. adults alongside 45,445 participants across 20 global markets. While hypothetical safeguards pushed adoption interest to 56% in the United States and 74% in Latin America, Visa clarified that no stablecoins currently carry deposit insurance.
Trust remains anchored in institutional credibility rather than underlying technology. 64% of American respondents stated that trust depends on the entity offering the service, with willingness to use stablecoins reaching 45% when provided by existing financial institutions. Traditional banks (61%) and global payment networks (60%) emerged as the most trusted providers in the U.S., compared to 69% globally.
However, awareness gaps remain wide: 56% of survey respondents had never heard of stablecoins, and many who had assumed they experienced price volatility similar to Bitcoin.
Remittance Fraud Concerns and Network Expansion
Security concerns significantly influence user preferences in cross-border transfers:
- 1 in 4 global senders, over one-third of Americans, and 40% of Indians have encountered payment fraud.
- 44% of Americans expressed worry over AI deepfakes impersonating family members.
- 45% of U.S. respondents and 68% of Japanese respondents would accept a 24-hour transfer delay for stronger fraud protection.
- Global stablecoin circulation stands at $312 billion, led by Tether (USDT) at $184 billion and Circle (USDC) at $76 billion.
"The future of the industry will be won by the providers that work hardest to earn that trust," stated Vira Platonova, Global Head of Visa Direct.
Visa processed $18 billion in crypto-linked card transactions in 2025 according to Artemis, capturing over 90% of stablecoin card payments. The network acts as a founding validator on Circle's Arc blockchain alongside BlackRock, Mastercard, and DTCC. Last August, Visa expanded its settlement capabilities by integrating PayPal USD (PYUSD) and Global Dollar (USDG) via Paxos across the Stellar and Avalanche networks. This comes as payment giants adjust metrics to monitor activity, as seen when Visa adjusts stablecoin volume metrics, while policy bodies examine frameworks like the Fed proposed stablecoin framework.
Why It Matters
The research emphasizes that mainstream stablecoin adoption hinges on regulatory clarity and consumer safety mechanisms rather than blockchain throughput. While crypto-native platforms prioritize speed, everyday consumers actively prefer security checks even if they introduce settlement delays. Institutional payment providers that successfully integrate traditional banking protections onto stablecoin settlement rails are best positioned to capture global remittance flows.
