Visa survey: 46% of Asia-Pacific consumers likely to use stablecoins within five years

A Visa study of 14,250 consumers across 14 Asia-Pacific markets found that 46 per cent are likely to use stablecoins within five years, though only 6 per cent accurately understand how they work. Weak trust and understanding remain the main barriers, with 38 per cent of aware non-users citing fraud

Almost half of consumers in the Asia-Pacific are open to using stablecoins in the next five years, though weak understanding and trust remain the main barriers to wider adoption, a study by Visa has shown.

According to Visa's Consumer 360 study, which surveyed 14,250 consumers aged 18 to 65 across 14 Asia-Pacific markets including the Philippines, 46 per cent of respondents said they are likely to use stablecoins within the next five years. This compares with 16 per cent who have used them in the past 12 months, the company said in a press release.

“We're seeing a meaningful shift in how consumers across Asia-Pacific think about stablecoins,” said Nischint Sanghavi, head of Digital Currencies for Asia-Pacific at Visa. “Consumers are beginning to see how stablecoins could support the ways they already spend and move money, particularly through online purchases, travel and cross-border transfers. The opportunity now is to turn that interest into trusted and familiar payment experiences that work at scale.”

Stablecoins are pegged to a fiat currency or commodity to give them a stable value, unlike other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which have volatile prices as they are not backed by assets. Respondents said they are interested in using stablecoins for everyday online purchases, travel spending and overseas shopping, which Visa said shows potential for usage beyond investment or crypto trading.

Cross-border money movement is another area of potential, with 49 per cent saying they believe stablecoins could become a common way to move money across borders within five years. “This points to possible relevance for remittances, international transfers and other payment needs,” Visa said.

However, the study showed a gap between emerging use cases and understanding. Only 49 per cent of consumers who are aware of stablecoins believe they can be used only to buy and sell other cryptocurrencies. Across Asia-Pacific, the strongest markets in terms of stablecoin awareness were Hong Kong (84 per cent), India (80 per cent) and Thailand (77 per cent). Respondents in Vietnam (67 per cent) and India (67 per cent) showed the strongest intent to use stablecoins within the next five years.

Despite 66 per cent of consumers across Asia-Pacific being aware of stablecoins, only 6 per cent demonstrate an accurate understanding of how they work. Misconceptions remain, as 41 per cent said they believe stablecoins always increase in value. Among those who are aware of stablecoins but have never used them, 38 per cent cited concerns about fraud or scams, while 36 per cent pointed to a lack of understanding. “Consumers show the strongest preference for regulated institutions, with government or central bank-linked entities (27 per cent) and banks or regulated financial institutions (26 per cent) ranking as the most trusted providers,” Visa said.