Global stablecoin adoption accelerates as BVNK report shows shift to everyday payments

A new BVNK report shows how stablecoin adoption is rapidly evolving from a niche crypto experiment into an everyday payments tool used across global markets.

Stablecoins move from trading tool to everyday money

According to BVNK’s Stablecoin Utility Report, released on February 17, 2026, stablecoins are increasingly used for practical financial needs rather than speculative trading. The study, conducted by YouGov for BVNK in partnership with Coinbase and Artemis, surveyed more than 4,600 early adopters and crypto-natives in 15 countries.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar, designed to offer price stability and enable fast, secure transactions. Moreover, the report focused on respondents who currently hold crypto, held it in the last 12 months, or intend to acquire it in the coming year. This provides a detailed snapshot of how active users are integrating digital dollars into daily life.

The data shows that these users no longer view stablecoins as a niche remittance or trading tool. Instead, they deploy them for real-world money movement, prioritizing speed, cost, and security. That said, the shift is not uniform, with notable differences between emerging and high-income markets.

Stablecoins increasingly used for salaries and income

One of the most striking findings is how people are getting paid in stablecoins. 39% of surveyed respondents said they receive payments in stablecoins, either from family and friends or in a professional context. Among this group, such payments account for around 35% of their annual earnings.

Three-quarters of those paid in stablecoins said it improved their ability to do business internationally. In addition, 76% of marketplace sellers reported better sales volumes when using digital dollars. According to the report, these users also enjoy an average fee saving of 40% compared with traditional remittance channels, underlining strong stablecoin remittance savings incentives.

Everyday spending and merchant acceptance trends

Stablecoins are also functioning as everyday money. 27% of holders now use them for routine purchases, from goods to services. They keep an average balance of $200 in their wallets, treating these assets as spendable currency instead of long-term savings. Moreover, this behavioral shift signals that digital dollars are beginning to compete directly with local fiat in some markets.

More than half (52%) of crypto holders reported buying something specifically because a merchant accepted stablecoins. That share rises to 60% in emerging markets, highlighting how stablecoin merchant acceptance can directly influence consumer behavior. However, the report also indicates that current acceptance does not fully match user demand.

The demand-supply gap is clear: 42% of respondents said they want to spend crypto and stablecoins on major or lifestyle purchases, while only 28% actually do so today. This suggests that consumer interest is running ahead of merchant and platform integration, especially outside crypto-native businesses.

Why users prefer paying with stablecoins

The top reasons people choose stablecoins are practical rather than ideological. 30% cited lower fees as their main motivation, while 28% pointed to security and 27% to global access. Moreover, these operational benefits mirror the pain points of legacy payment rails, particularly for cross-border transactions and small businesses.

Crucially, users want better integration with existing financial services. 77% of consumers surveyed said they would open a stablecoin wallet if their personal bank or fintech app offered one. Almost three-quarters (71%) are interested in a linked debit card to spend their holdings frictionlessly. This underscores growing expectations around stablecoin banking integration within traditional financial platforms.

These attitudes suggest that future growth in stablecoin usage may depend as much on banks and fintechs as on crypto-native wallets. However, that requires interoperable infrastructure, clear compliance frameworks, and user-friendly interfaces that hide blockchain complexity.

Regional patterns in stablecoin use

The report highlights clear regional differences in how stablecoins are used. The trend towards everyday payments has been led by South America, Asia, and Africa, where conventional money transfers can be slow, expensive, or tightly restricted. Across these emerging markets, 60% of crypto-native respondents hold stablecoins, rising to a remarkable 79% in Africa.

In many of these economies, moving money abroad is difficult, and local currencies can be highly volatile. As a result, stablecoins have become an important tool for stability and financial inclusion. Moreover, they offer a parallel rail for savings, trade, and remittances that bypasses fragile banking systems and capital controls.

Yet the report also shows that high-income countries are catching up. In the US, the UK, and across Europe, awareness of stablecoins as a way to modernize payments and accelerate global transfers is growing quickly. 45% of crypto users in these economies now hold stablecoins, and their average balances are substantially higher, at around $1,000 compared with $85 in emerging markets.

Regulation and the path to mainstream adoption

The authors note that regulatory frameworks in major jurisdictions are evolving rapidly to support greater use of digital dollars in everyday commerce. As rules take shape across the US, UK, and Europe, policymakers are increasingly treating these assets as a potential upgrade to payment infrastructure rather than only a speculative instrument. This regulatory momentum is a key driver of broader stablecoin market mainstream adoption.

One paragraph of the report explicitly frames this shift as a structural change in stablecoin adoption, not just a temporary spike in usage. That said, significant questions remain around consumer protection, reserve transparency, and interoperability between issuers. Clearer standards could further unlock institutional engagement and payment-industry integration.

Industry perspectives on a tipping point

Commenting on the findings, Chris Harmse, co-founder of BVNK, contrasted headline market statistics with everyday experience in cities like London and New York. He noted that while macro numbers point to hundreds of billions in market capitalization and trillions in annual transaction volume, many consumers still rarely see a ‘pay with stablecoins’ button at checkout.

“That’s what we’ve set out to answer with this report,” Harmse said. “Stablecoins are being used in the real world because they solve real-world problems. People are already getting paid and spending stablecoins, especially where traditional payments are slow, expensive, or unreliable. They’re using them like everyday money, and asking for greater integration into their existing financial tools so they can continue to benefit from this revolution in money movement.”

John Turner, Group Product Manager for stablecoins at Coinbase, emphasized the role of necessity in emerging markets. “In many emerging economies, people have adopted stablecoins out of necessity,” he said. “What’s changing now is that people in developed markets are starting to feel the same frustrations with money movement. They want payments that are instant, global, and low-cost.” Moreover, Turner argued that as regulation develops, stablecoins will be seen less as a niche crypto product and more as a practical enhancement to established systems.

Anthony Yim, Co-Founder & CEO at crypto research firm Artemis, described a “significant behavioral shift” in usage patterns. He pointed out that stablecoin supply has grown 500% over the past five years, alongside multiple legislative initiatives in numerous countries. According to Yim, crypto-natives and early adopters are already fully onboard, using these assets to pay and be paid, which is now driving mainstream global uptake.

Methodology and ecosystem context

The Stablecoin Utility Report is based on an online survey of 4,658 adults aged 18 and over, conducted by YouGov between September and October 2025. All respondents either currently hold cryptocurrency (including stablecoins), held it within the last 12 months, or intend to acquire it in the next 12 months. The sample was drawn from YouGov’s panel of preferred suppliers.

BVNK positions itself as a stablecoin-powered financial stack for enterprises, enabling clients to build financial products, unlock new markets, and move money in seconds across more than 130 countries. The company says it processes billions annually and is trusted by partners including Worldpay, Deel, and Flywire. The report is available for download at BVNK.com/Utility.

Artemis describes itself as a leading analytics platform for blockchain data, used by industry names such as Visa, Grayscale, Pantera, VanEck, and Circle. Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) continues its mission to expand economic freedom globally by providing a trusted platform for trading, staking, safekeeping, spending, and global transfers of crypto assets. Moreover, Coinbase supports builders focused on onchain innovation and advocates for responsible regulation worldwide.

Overall, the BVNK study suggests that stablecoins are transitioning from a specialist crypto tool to a core component of digital finance, with growing usage in salaries, remittances, and everyday spending across both emerging and developed markets.