A Visa survey of 2,192 US-based customers, published Wednesday, found that stated willingness to use stablecoins for cross-border transactions would climb from 36% to 56% under a hypothetical scenario that included bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, Cointelegraph reported. The results point to trust and familiarity, rather than technology, as the main constraint on adoption.
The findings carry extra weight because US stablecoin issuers are waiting on finalized rules under the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, ahead of an effective date expected in January 2027.
Also read: Bank of Italy Study Finds Stablecoin Remittances Offer No Consistent Cost Advantage
Key facts
- Visa’s survey of 2,192 US-based customers found adoption intention for stablecoins could rise from 36% to 56% with bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance.
- Roughly 64% of respondents said trust depends more on who offers a payment method than on the technology itself, and willingness rose from 36% to 45% when a stablecoin was offered through an existing financial provider.
- Morning Consult ran the survey between February and March, polling 45,445 people across 20 markets, including the 2,192 US adults, according to Decrypt.
- Decrypt reported that about six in 10 Americans said they would trust a traditional bank (61%) or a global payment network (60%) with digital currency services, and that 36% of US remitters had encountered a cross-border payment scam.
- Cointelegraph reported that under GENIUS, US stablecoins are still not expected to carry FDIC insurance or explicit fraud protection, though the framework includes guidelines aimed at illicit activity.
What the survey measured
The question Visa put to respondents was hypothetical, and the company said the scenario does not signal that such protections exist or are coming. Under GENIUS starting in January, Cointelegraph reported, US stablecoins are still not expected to have FDIC insurance or explicit fraud protection, although the rules will include guidelines to address illicit activity.
Decrypt noted that awareness is a bigger hurdle than appetite. Some 56% of US respondents had never heard of stablecoins, and many who had assumed they swing in price like Bitcoin. Both outlets reported the 36% to 56% adoption-intention figure; Decrypt also carried the regional split, finding willingness in Latin America more than doubled from 34% to 74% with protections in place.
Also read: US and UK Treasuries Move to Harmonize Stablecoin and Tokenization Rules
Matching a cross-border need
US respondents who were asked about financial terms like stablecoins were looking for faster and cheaper methods to send money abroad, suggesting the pitch lands hardest with people already paying to move funds internationally. Visa said scams loom large in that group: 36% of US remitters reported encountering a cross-border payment scam, and 44% worried about AI deepfakes impersonating family members.
Visa’s own stablecoin activity has grown. Its stablecoin settlement volume reached an annualized rate above $20 billion, up from a $3.5 billion run rate when it began US settlement in USDC on Solana in December, and Visa Direct added stablecoin payouts through Zerohash in August.
Europe reviews reserve rules
Separately, the European System of Central Banks on Tuesday called for changing rules that require stablecoins to hold at least 30% of reserves as bank deposits, or 60% for “significant” tokens, pushing instead for liquidity thresholds. The proposal sits under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, which began enforcing its stablecoin rules in June 2024.
According to payments infrastructure company Decta, the market capitalization of compliant euro stablecoins more than doubled from 2025 to 2026 leading up to the end of MiCA’s transition period. US dollar-pegged tokens such as USDC and USDT continue to lead the market with a combined market capitalization of about $260 billion. Decrypt reported that BlackRock put stablecoins’ market cap above $300 billion this month, and ran Bitcoin (BTC) at $84,270, up 11% over 24 hours.
Why it matters
The survey frames stablecoin adoption as a trust problem before it is a technology problem. If willingness really does depend on whether a bank or a payment network stands behind the product, then issuers and their partners may compete on consumer protections and brand rather than on rails alone. It also sets a baseline for the GENIUS Act rollout: the law is not expected to extend FDIC insurance or explicit fraud protection to stablecoins, so the gap between what survey respondents say they want and what the rulebook delivers may persist into 2027.
What to watch
The clearest near-term marker is the finalized rulemaking from key US financial agencies ahead of GENIUS taking effect, expected in January 2027. In Europe, watch whether the European System of Central Banks’ proposed liquidity thresholds are adopted into the MiCA framework.
This article is informational only and is not financial advice. Crypto markets are volatile and uncertain.
Reported by cointelegraph.com.
Sources: Cointelegraph, Decrypt
