Stablecoin Utility Report 2026

Half of stablecoin holders increased their holdings in the last 12 months. Over half (56%) plan to acquire more in the next year, while 13% of non-owners intend to start. Ownership skews young and entrepreneurial. Men are more likely to own stablecoins (60%), except in Africa where women are equally likely (51%).

Stablecoin holders are willing to allocate one-third of their savings to crypto and stablecoins. Those who get paid in stablecoins (freelancers, gig workers, marketplace sellers) receive around 35% of their income this way. 3 in 4 say it has increased their ability to do business internationally. Desire to get paid in stablecoins is highest in Africa and APAC.

Centralized exchanges remain the primary way that consumers acquire and manage stablecoins. But trust in traditional finance runs deep: 77% would open a stablecoin wallet if their bank or fintech app offered one.

Most holders convert or spend quickly  –  more than 1 in 4 (28%) do so within days. Merchant acceptance is a critical blocker. Desire to spend stablecoins exceeds actual spending in every spend category we tested, and almost 3 in 4 (71%) are likely to use a card to spend their stablecoins. Stablecoin acceptance drives new customer acquisition: half of stablecoin holders have bought something from a business specifically because it accepted stablecoins.

Lower fees (30%), security (28%), and global access (27%) drive current adoption of stablecoin payments. But holders dislike complexity –  too many steps, network choices, irreversible transactions. The gap is clear: consumers want stablecoin payments to work like any other payment. Universal acceptance, seamless UX, built-in consumer protection. No compromises.