Credit Unions Face Crypto Payments Surge: Consumers Flock to Linked Debit Cards

Crypto spending is surging, and credit unions are facing new payments questions. A recent report from PYMNTS Intelligence and Paymentology found that 71% of stablecoin holders want to use a linked debit card to spend their digital assets.

The report also showed that consumers are willing to turn to financial providers they already know to gain access to digital currencies, with 77% saying they would open a crypto or stablecoin wallet through an existing banking or fintech app.

Monthly crypto card spending increased roughly 15-fold from early 2023 through late 2025, reaching an annualized rate of about $18 billion. This growth is being driven by traditional card infrastructure supporting digital-asset payments at commercial scale.