Nearly half of consumers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are considering using stablecoins over the next 5 years. However, actual adoption remains significantly below potential demand.
Global payments company Visa released the results of its Consumer 360 study, which examined consumer awareness of stablecoins and their potential adoption across the Asia-Pacific region. According to the survey, 46% of respondents are open to using stablecoins within the next 5 years, while only 16% reported using them in the past 12 months.
The study was conducted in the summer of 2026 and surveyed 14,250 people aged 18 to 65 across 14 Asia-Pacific markets, including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
Respondents identified the following as the most promising stablecoin use cases:
Online shopping;
Payments for goods and services while traveling;
Cross-border transfers;
Purchases from overseas merchants.
Meanwhile, 49% of respondents believe stablecoins could become a widely used tool for international money transfers within 5 years.
The study also revealed significant differences across APAC markets. The highest levels of stablecoin awareness were recorded in:
Hong Kong (84%);
India (80%);
Thailand (77%).
Vietnam and India led in willingness to use stablecoins over the next 5 years, with 67% of respondents in both countries expressing interest.
Despite growing interest, understanding of the technology remains limited. While 66% of respondents were aware of stablecoins, only 6% demonstrated an accurate understanding of how they work. Meanwhile, 41% mistakenly believed that stablecoins always increase in value. In addition, 49% of respondents familiar with stablecoins believed these assets could only be used to buy and sell other cryptocurrencies.
Among respondents who were aware of stablecoins but had never used them, concerns about fraud and a lack of understanding of the technology remained the main barriers to adoption.
When it comes to trust, consumers favor regulated institutions. Government agencies and central bank-affiliated organizations were considered the most trustworthy providers of stablecoin-related services by 27% of respondents. Another 26% preferred banks and other regulated financial institutions.
Nischint Sanghavi, Visa’s Head of Digital Currencies for Asia-Pacific, noted that consumers are gradually moving beyond viewing stablecoins solely as a cryptocurrency trading tool and are beginning to consider their use for everyday payments and international transfers.
Visa believes that broader stablecoin adoption will depend on integration with existing payment infrastructure, transaction security, and regulatory compliance. The company works with banks, regulated financial institutions, and payment providers.
Visa is also actively developing Visa Stablecoin Platform, an infrastructure solution for issuing, transferring, and managing stablecoins, as well as its specialized Visa Consulting & Analytics division, which advises banks, FinTech companies, and corporate clients on stablecoin adoption. In addition, Visa continues to expand the range of supported assets and blockchain networks within its DLT-based payment platform and is testing confidential stablecoin settlements.
