Crypto · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Visa Survey Finds US Stablecoin Adoption Intention Jumps From 36% To 56% With Bank Protections
Stablecoin adoption intention in the US jumps from 36% to 56% with bank-level protections. Survey of 2,192 U.S. adults found bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance boost interest.
10 outlets told this the same way.
4 of 5 outlets skipped it: visa reports stablecoin scams and AI deepfake worries for remitters.
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Visa survey and a jump
Visa’s Money Travels 2026 survey found that stablecoin “adoption intention” among US users could climb from 36% to 56% “in a hypothetical scenario with bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance.” The survey polled 2,192 US-based customers, and it said the results were based on a Morning Consult survey conducted between February 24 and March 2. Visa also reported that willingness to use stablecoins rises from 36% to 45% when stablecoins are offered through an existing financial provider.
“Most Americans still don't know what a stablecoin is.”
Visa said 64% of respondents told it that trust depends more on who offers a payment method than on the tech itself, and it said 56% of respondents had never heard of stablecoins. Visa said traditional commercial banks were trusted by 61% of participants and global payment networks were trusted by 60% with digital currency services.
GENIUS Act and what’s missing
Visa’s survey results arrived as companies prepared for the enactment of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which the survey framed as a path toward clearer rules. The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act “awaits finalized rules from key US financial agencies ahead of its effective date, expected in January 2027,” and stablecoins are not expected to have FDIC insurance or explicit fraud protection under GENIUS starting in January. The survey’s bank-level scenario was hypothetical, and stablecoins “lack many of the protections from fraud and are not covered by deposit insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).”
Under GENIUS starting in January, US stablecoins “are still not expected to have FDIC insurance or explicit fraud protection, but will include guidelines in an effort to address illicit activities.” Nearly two-thirds (64%) [of respondents] say trust depends more on who offers a payment method than on the tech itself.
Trust, knowledge gaps, and scale
Visa’s survey said 56% of US respondents had never heard of stablecoins, and it said some respondents who had heard of stablecoins incorrectly assumed they fluctuate like bitcoin. Decrypt said Visa stressed that its scenario “doesn't suggest such protections exist or are coming,” and it said stablecoins “don't carry FDIC insurance.” The Block said the data dashboard puts the total supply of U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins above $295 billion, with Tether’s USDT at about $183.4 billion and Circle’s USDC near $76 billion.
“The "bank-level" protections in the survey are explicitly hypothetical.”
Altcoin Buzz said Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC make up the bulk of the more than $295 billion of U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin supply. Altcoin Buzz also said the Visa report titled Money Travels 2026 was based on a Morning Consult survey conducted between February 24 and March 2, and it noted that the bank-level protections in the survey were explicitly hypothetical.