Asia-Pacific consumer interest in and awareness of stablecoins is growing along with their practical use in areas such as everyday spending, travel and cross-border money movement; however, limited understanding and concerns around trust remain barriers to wider use, according to a recent survey.
As stablecoins move beyond their crypto-native roots, consumers are beginning to view them less as a crypto-trading instrument and more as a potential tool for everyday spending, travel and cross-border transfers, finds digital payment firm Visa’s survey of 14,250 consumers conducted between June and July 2026 across 14 Asia-Pacific markets: mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Yet, misconceptions remain widespread as close to half of those surveyed believe stablecoins can only be used to buy or sell other cryptocurrencies. Turning this interest into everyday utility, the survey notes, will depend on making stablecoins easier to understand and use through trusted, familiar and regulated payment experiences.
Consumers, however, are showing rising interest in everyday stablecoin use. Across Asia-Pacific, 46% of consumers say they are likely to use stablecoins within the next five years, compared with 16% who have used them in the past 12 months.
Interest extends to everyday online purchases, travel spending and overseas shopping, pointing to potential use beyond investment or crypto trading. Cross-border money movement is another area of potential, with 49% believing 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. Yet, understanding has not caught up with these emerging use cases: 49% of consumers who are aware of stablecoins still believe they can only be used to buy and sell other cryptocurrencies.
Market-level findings show where stablecoin awareness and intent are strongest across Asia-Pacific. Hong Kong ( 84% ), India ( 80% ) and Thailand ( 77% ) record the highest awareness, while Vietnam ( 67% ) and India ( 67% ) show the strongest intent to use stablecoins within the next five years.
The importance of making stablecoins available through secure payment experiences consumers already recognise and trust is highlighted by the survey.
Awareness mainstream, but trust, undierstanding barriers remain
Stablecoins have entered mainstream awareness across Asia-Pacific, with 66% of consumers aware of them. Yet, only 6% demonstrate an accurate understanding of how stablecoins work, while misconceptions remain with 41% believing that stablecoins always increase in value.
Trust, the survey points out, is also holding consumers back. Among those who are aware of stablecoins but have never used them, 38% cite concerns about fraud or scams, while 36% point to a lack of understanding.
Consumers show the strongest preference for regulated institutions, with government or central bank-linked entities ( 27% ) and banks or regulated financial institutions ( 26% ) ranking as the most trusted providers.
While interest is growing, adoption will depend less on awareness alone and more on whether stablecoins, the survey notes, can be made understandable, secure and useful in everyday payment contexts.
“We’re seeing a meaningful shift in how consumers across Asia-Pacific think about stablecoins,” says Nischint Sanghavi, Visa’s head of digital currencies for Asia-Pacific. “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.”
