Crypto Spending Spikes, Credit Unions Confront New Payments Landscape

Crypto spending is on the rise, and this trend poses new questions for credit unions. According to a recent report from PYMNTS Intelligence and Paymentology, stablecoin holders are eager to spend their digital assets. In fact, 71% of those surveyed said they would use a linked debit card to make purchases.

The market is already showing signs of acceleration. Monthly crypto card spending has increased by roughly 15-fold from early 2023 through late 2025, reaching an annualized rate of about $18 billion. This growth can be attributed in part to the success of digital-asset card platforms like Rain, which reached over $3 billion in annualized spending after gaining direct Visa network membership.

The report also highlights a significant gap between how consumers want to use digital currencies and how they actually do. While 42% of stablecoin holders said they want to make major purchases with digital assets, only 28% currently do so. To bridge this gap, linked cards, instant currency conversion, and modern issuer-processing technology could play a crucial role.