More than half of Americans would use stablecoins if they came with bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, according to a Visa study released Wednesday. The survey found that stablecoin adoption intent jumped to 56% under such hypothetical safeguards, up from 36% without them. The same scenario lifted intent to 74% in Latin America.
The findings come from the Money Travels 2026 report, based on a Morning Consult survey of 2,192 U.S. adults conducted from February 24 to March 2, with broader data covering 45,445 people across 20 markets. The survey focused on remittance behaviors and attitudes toward digital payments.
Trust and Awareness Remain Barriers
Trust emerged as a critical factor in stablecoin adoption. Sixty-four percent of Americans said trust in a payment method depends more on who offers it than on the technology itself. Willingness to use stablecoins rose to 45% when an existing financial provider offered them.
Over half of respondents, 56%, had never heard of stablecoins. Among those familiar with them, many incorrectly assumed the coins fluctuated like Bitcoin. Traditional banks and global payment networks ranked as the most trusted providers of digital currency services, at 61% and 60% respectively, with a global trust figure of 69%.
Security Concerns Shape User Preferences
The survey also highlighted security as a priority. More than a third of Americans and 40% of Indians reported encountering fraud in payment transactions. Forty-four percent of Americans worried about AI deepfakes impersonating family members, and 45% said they would accept a 24-hour delay on a transfer in exchange for stronger protection. In Japan, 68% would accept such a delay.
The survey notes that despite the hypothetical scenarios presented, no stablecoin currently carries deposit insurance.
Stablecoin Market Growth
Dollar stablecoins in circulation total approximately $312 billion, with Tether's USDT at $184 billion and Circle's USDC at $76 billion. Visa handles more than 90% of stablecoin card transactions, which reached $18 billion in 2025.
