Stablecoins shift from speculation to practical cross-border payments tool

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Artem Shendetskii

17.02.2026

Stablecoins shift from speculation to practical cross-border payments tool — Crypto exchanges still dominate stablecoin access as banks stay on sidelines

The findings reflect behavior among crypto-active users rather than the general public, as the survey excludes major markets such as China and Canada.

Within this segment, stablecoin adoption is increasingly shaped by practical financial use cases rather than speculation, reports BVNK.

Freelancers and gig workers now receive 35% of their income in stablecoins, with 73% saying it improves their ability to work with international clients. In Africa, stablecoin penetration is especially high, with 79% of surveyed crypto users holding them and 92% citing local economic conditions as the key motivation. Merchant acceptance is also influencing consumer behavior, as 52% of holders report making purchases specifically because a business accepted stablecoin payments. These patterns suggest stablecoins are becoming embedded in everyday economic activity within crypto-native communities.

Crypto platforms lead while traditional finance stays sidelined

Despite growing usage, stablecoin activity remains dominated by crypto-native platforms, with most users managing assets through centralized exchanges. Banks, brokers, and payment providers have largely not entered the space at scale, leaving exchanges as the primary service layer. Yet the survey indicates that this dominance is not necessarily driven by stronger trust in crypto firms.

Around 77% of respondents said they would likely open a stablecoin wallet if offered directly through their personal bank or fintech app. In low- and middle-income economies, that number rises to 83%, highlighting unmet demand for regulated and familiar distribution channels. The results suggest traditional financial institutions may be missing an opportunity to capture a growing payments and savings segment already active among crypto users.

Users want mainstream simplicity, not crypto complexity

Even among regular stablecoin users, the experience remains far from frictionless. The biggest concerns cited were irreversible payments (30%) and process complexity (22%), reflecting discomfort with crypto’s lack of consumer safeguards. Respondents say they want stablecoins to behave more like traditional payment systems, with easier interfaces, broader merchant support, and clearer protections such as refunds or dispute mechanisms.

For the B2B financial industry, the survey points to a market that is already engaged but still underserved by mainstream providers. How banks and fintechs choose to structure stablecoin offerings — and whether they can reduce complexity while adding trust and protections — may determine how adoption evolves beyond crypto-native circles.

Recently we wrote that stablecoins are rapidly moving from the fringes of crypto trading into the core of regulated finance, prompting banks to reassess long-held assumptions about digital dollars.

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