US stablecoin adoption could surge with bank-like protections: Visa survey
Visa published a Morning Consult survey of 2,192 U.S. respondents showing that offering bank-level fraud protections and deposit insurance could raise Americans' intention to use stablecoins for cross-border payments from 36% to 56%. The report also found trust in payment methods often depends more on the provider than the underlying technology, and willingness to adopt rises when stablecoins are offered via existing financial institutions.
Why It Matters
The findings come as U.S. lawmakers and regulators prepare rules under the GENIUS Act for stablecoin issuers, and they highlight how adding bank-style protections could influence consumer uptake during a period of shifting policy both in the U.S. and the EU. That dynamic matters for stablecoin issuers, payment firms and policymakers shaping the asset class' regulatory framework.
Key Facts
- Survey sample: 2,192 U.S.-based customers
- Increase in adoption intention (hypothetical): From 36% to 56% with bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance
- Timing of survey: Conducted by Morning Consult between February and March
- Trust dependence: 64% of respondents say trust depends more on who offers a payment method than on the technology
- Willingness via existing providers: Willingness to use stablecoins rises from 36% to 45% when offered through an existing financial provider
Visa released results from a Morning Consult survey of 2,192 U.S. consumers indicating that bank-style protections could materially boost interest in stablecoins for cross-border transfers. In a hypothetical scenario where stablecoins carried bank-level fraud safeguards and deposit insurance, respondents' reported intention to adopt stablecoins rose from 36% to 56%. The survey was fielded between February and March.
Respondents also signaled that the identity of the provider matters: roughly 64% said trust depends more on who offers a payment method than on the technology behind it. Separately, willingness to use stablecoins increased from 36% to 45% when the tokens were presented as products offered through an existing financial institution, according to Visa.
The survey's timing coincides with policy work on the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The bill's framework awaits finalized rules from key U.S. financial agencies and is expected to take effect in January 2027. Current U.S. stablecoins do not carry many of the protections typical of bank products: they generally lack FDIC deposit insurance and standard fraud guarantees.
At the same time, regulators in Europe are revisiting how stablecoins should be backed. The European System of Central Banks has proposed replacing fixed bank-deposit reserve requirements with liquidity thresholds under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime, which began enforcing its stablecoin rules in June 2024. Decta said compliant euro stablecoins more than doubled in market capitalization from 2025 to 2026 as MiCA's transition period ended, while U.S. dollar-pegged tokens such as USDC and USDT together hold about $260 billion in market value.
Keep Reading
Raiffeisen to offer crypto trading across 11 European markets via Bitpanda
Bitcoin long liquidations hit $280M as BTC price dips under $84K
NYSE, Blockchain.com in tie-up to bring tokenized US stocks to crypto users
