A Visa survey of 14,250 consumers across 14 Asia Pacific markets found that 46% intend to use stablecoins within five years, roughly triple the 16% who reported using them in the prior 12 months, the payments network said on Monday.

The gap between stated intent and current usage emerges against limited technical understanding. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they were aware of stablecoins, yet only 6% demonstrated an accurate grasp of how they work. Among the aware-but-never-used group, 38% cited fraud and scam concerns as the primary barrier.

What does the trust picture look like?

Adoption intent in the region correlates closely with who issues or holds the assets, the data show. Government or central bank-affiliated entities ranked as the most trusted providers at 27%, with banks and other regulated financial institutions close behind at 26%.

International transfers, online purchases, travel, and overseas shopping were the leading use cases respondents flagged. Visa's Nischint Sanghavi, head of digital currencies for Asia Pacific, framed the findings in product terms: "Consumers want stablecoins to feel like a natural part of the payments they already trust."

The fieldwork ran between June and July. The full country list and methodology details were not included in the press materials Visa distributed.

How do affluent investor portfolios look?

Separately, asset manager CoinShares reported that digital assets are now held by a majority of affluent investors in all seven Western markets it surveyed. Adoption ranged from 54% in Sweden to 70% in the U.S., the U.K., and Germany.

The CoinShares Affluent Investor Crypto Report draws on 2,230 investor responses collected between May 11 and June 5. Average digital asset allocations clustered near 10% of portfolios across the cohort. Bitcoin is held by 80% of digital-asset investors, the firm found, and 89% of those holders also own other tokens.

What is the appetite for adding more?

At least 85% of current digital-asset investors in five of the seven markets said they planned to increase their exposure during 2026, according to CoinShares. That figure climbs to 91% among respondents in the U.S., the U.K., and Germany.

Strategic motives — long-term appreciation and diversification — outranked speculation across every market CoinShares surveyed. Only 6% of respondents identified primarily as short-term traders, an orientation consistent with the 10% portfolio weighting and the multi-year holding horizon visible in the data.

What is the trajectory?

Both surveys point to expanding, rather than contracting, demand through the remainder of 2026. CoinShares' data shows 85% of current digital-asset holders in five of seven markets intend to add exposure this year, while Visa's APAC research shows a near-tripling of intended stablecoin usage over a five-year horizon.

Whether the gap between stated intent and realized transaction volume closes will depend on regulated intermediaries — the providers respondents trust most — bringing stablecoin products to market under clear supervisory frameworks. The next data points will arrive as quarterly stablecoin supply reports and bank custody disclosures land through the remainder of 2026.