Visa Study Shows Strong Stablecoin Interest in Asia Pacific Despite Trust Barriers

Visa's latest Consumer 360 research reveals a growing openness to stablecoins among Asia Pacific consumers, with nearly half (46%) expressing interest in using them within the next five years. The survey, which polled 14,250 consumers across 14 markets, highlights a shift in perception, as people increasingly see stablecoins as tools for everyday spending, travel, and cross-border transactions rather than just crypto-trading instruments.

Despite this interest, significant barriers remain. Close to half of the respondents still believe stablecoins can only be used to buy or sell other cryptocurrencies, while 41% mistakenly think they always increase in value. Trust is another hurdle, with 38% of aware but non-using consumers citing concerns about fraud or scams, and 36% pointing to a lack of understanding. The strongest trust is placed in regulated institutions, particularly government or central bank-linked entities (27%) and banks or regulated financial institutions (26%).

Market-level data shows the highest stablecoin awareness in Hong Kong (84%), India (80%), and Thailand (77%), while Vietnam (67%) and India (67%) have the strongest intent to use stablecoins in the near future. Visa is actively working with banks, regulated financial institutions, and payment partners to integrate stablecoin capabilities into familiar and trusted payment experiences, including through the Visa Stablecoin Platform.

'Consumers want stablecoins to feel like a natural part of the payments they already trust, not a separate system,' said Nischint Sanghavi, Head of Digital Currencies, Asia Pacific at Visa. 'Our role is to connect emerging stablecoin technology with the secure, familiar payment experiences consumers rely on every day.'