A new survey published Wednesday by Visa found that 56% of U.S. adults have never heard of stablecoins, underscoring a major awareness gap even as payments giants expand stablecoin-linked products. The findings are part of Money Travels 2026, Visa’s report on how technology is transforming remittances, with the U.S. poll conducted by Morning Consult among 2,192 adults from Feb. 24 to March 2. The global sample covers 45,445 people across 20 markets.
Among those familiar with stablecoins, many incorrectly assume the tokens fluctuate in value like bitcoin. The survey found that trust remains heavily tied to existing institutions: 61% of respondents trust traditional commercial banks to provide digital currency services, while global payment networks drew 60%. When Visa added hypothetical bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, stablecoin adoption intent rose from 36% to 56%—though stablecoins are not currently covered by FDIC deposit insurance.
Security concerns are also prominent. Over a third of respondents, 36%, reported encountering scams related to sending money internationally, with fake messages, account impersonation, and fake investment schemes topping the list. About 24% received AI-written messages that seemed authentic, and 44% feared AI deepfakes posing as family members. Visa’s Global Head of Visa Direct, Vira Platonova, said the industry’s future will be won by providers that work hardest to earn trust. Visa now has more than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs, nearly three times the number it had a year ago.
