A new Visa survey suggests American consumers are open to using stablecoins for sending money across borders—but only if the digital tokens come wrapped in the same safeguards that protect traditional bank deposits.
The Trust Gap Holding Stablecoins Back
Visa's research points to a familiar hurdle for the crypto industry: consumer confidence. While stablecoins promise faster and cheaper international transfers than legacy systems, many Americans remain wary of moving their money into assets that lack the familiar backstops of the banking world.
According to the study, just 36% of U.S. respondents said they would be willing to use stablecoins for cross-border payments under current conditions. That figure reflects lingering doubts about safety, reliability, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Consumers aren't rejecting stablecoins—they're rejecting the risk of using them without a safety net.
Protections Change the Equation
The picture shifts dramatically when protections enter the conversation. When respondents were told the stablecoins would carry hypothetical bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, willingness to use them jumped to 56%—a 20-percentage-point increase.
That leap underscores how much the perceived absence of consumer safeguards weighs on adoption. Features that bank customers take for granted, such as reimbursement for fraudulent transactions and insured deposits, appear to be decisive factors for would-be stablecoin users.
The findings arrive as stablecoins gain traction globally for remittances and payments, driven by their promise of lower fees and near-instant settlement compared to traditional wire transfers.
What It Means for the Industry
- Fraud protection and deposit-style insurance emerged as the strongest levers for driving adoption.
- Cross-border transfers remain a prime use case where stablecoins can outcompete legacy rails.
- Regulatory clarity around consumer protections could unlock a significant portion of hesitant users.
For payment giants and stablecoin issuers, the message is clear: bridging the trust gap may matter as much as the underlying technology. As regulators in the U.S. weigh frameworks for stablecoin oversight, the survey signals that consumer-facing protections could be the key to turning cautious interest into mainstream use.