US Consumers Wary of Stablecoins and Autonomous AI Payments
US consumers are increasingly using digital wallets for online and in-store payments, but cryptocurrency adoption remains low. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence's second-quarter 2026 Voice of the Customer survey, two-thirds of respondents have used a digital wallet online in the past 90 days, with 45% reporting weekly usage.
The majority of Gen Z and millennial consumers are using digital wallets, but older cohorts show lower adoption rates. PayPal dominates online wallet usage at 62%, while Apple Pay leads in-store usage at 43%. Debit card linkage remains the preferred funding rail for digital wallet users, with ease of checkout driving adoption.
Cryptocurrency awareness is limited, with only 16% of respondents aware of stablecoins and a split attitude among those who are. The most-cited barriers to stablecoin adoption include concerns about fraud and scams, worries about the safety of funds, and a belief that stablecoins are unnecessary.