Crypto Cards Remain Strategic As Stablecoin Adoption Expands, Says New Artemis DeFi Study

by
Alisa Davidson

Printed: January 16, 2026 at 6:01 am Up to date: January 16, 2026 at 6:01 am

by Ana

Edited and fact-checked:
January 16, 2026 at 6:01 am

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Institutional-grade analytics supplier Artemis has launched a brand new report titled “Stablecoin Funds at Scale: How Playing cards Bridge Digital Property and International Commerce,” analyzing the rapidly increasing function of cryptocurrency playing cards in digital funds. Cryptocurrency playing cards enable customers to spend stablecoins and different digital property at conventional retailers, rising as one of many fastest-growing segments within the funds sector.

The report notes that transaction quantity for cryptocurrency playing cards surged from roughly $100 million monthly in early 2023 to over $1.5 billion by late 2025, reflecting a 106% compound annual progress price. Annualized, this positions the market above $18 billion, approaching the size of peer-to-peer stablecoin transfers, which grew solely 5% over the identical interval to $19 billion.

Artemis highlights that cryptocurrency card infrastructure spans three layers: international cost networks resembling Visa and Mastercard, card program managers and issuers, and the consumer-facing merchandise themselves. Whereas Visa and Mastercard keep near-equal program counts—every exceeding 130—Visa dominates greater than 90% of on-chain card transaction quantity via early partnerships with infrastructure suppliers. 

The report emphasizes the rise of full-stack issuers, together with Rain and Reap, which mix program administration and card issuance via direct principal membership, bypassing conventional issuing banks and capturing larger economics per transaction.

Geographically, the report identifies stablecoin card adoption the place digital property deal with sensible monetary wants. In India, with $338 billion in cryptocurrency inflows, the main focus is on cryptocurrency-backed bank cards amid a commoditized debit ecosystem through UPI. 

In Argentina, the place USDC represents 46.6% of stablecoins, stablecoin debit playing cards present a hedge towards inflation within the absence of different digital rails. In developed markets, the chance lies much less in fixing unmet wants and extra in serving a high-value person phase underserved by conventional monetary merchandise.

Crypto Playing cards Stay Key As Stablecoin Funds Increase, Bridging Digital Property And Actual-World Commerce

As stablecoin adoption accelerates, cost innovation is step by step shifting from card-based digital commerce towards direct stablecoin acceptance. Main networks together with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Stripe are growing infrastructure that enables retailers to just accept digital {dollars} natively, promising decrease charges and quicker settlement. Nevertheless, this raises a important query: if retailers can settle for stablecoins immediately, will cryptocurrency playing cards stay related?

Regardless of the potential of stablecoin-native funds, cryptocurrency playing cards proceed to carry strategic significance on account of entrenched community results. Card networks and issuers function throughout greater than 150 million service provider areas globally, supported by a long time of funding in POS techniques, service provider agreements, regulatory approvals, and shopper belief. Establishing comparable stablecoin acceptance would require intensive {hardware} integration, service provider onboarding, treasury changes, and compliance measures, making a full transition a multi-year, presumably decade-long course of.

Past transaction routing, card networks present providers resembling fraud safety, dispute decision, unsecured shopper credit score, rewards applications, and buy protections, options that stablecoin funds at present provide in restricted type. Credit score availability, particularly, stays a sturdy benefit for playing cards, supporting cash-flow administration and shopper adoption. Operational constraints additionally sluggish service provider adoption of latest cost strategies, as POS techniques, accounting, and tax infrastructure are optimized for playing cards.

Whereas stablecoin-based P2P and B2B funds are increasing in cross-border commerce, digital providers, and underserved markets, they’re unlikely to switch card networks within the close to time period. Playing cards retain benefits for on a regular basis shopper spending, credit score and rewards, retailers hesitant to combine new techniques, regulated jurisdictions, and customers preferring abstracted interfaces. Stablecoins excel in high-value B2B funds, cross-border transactions, crypto-native commerce, and markets with out established card infrastructure.

Trying forward, stablecoin cost quantity is predicted to develop alongside enhancing infrastructure and direct service provider acceptance. Cryptocurrency playing cards will proceed to scale in parallel, leveraging present service provider networks to bridge digital property into on a regular basis commerce and serving because the infrastructure for the subsequent section of stablecoin adoption.

Alisa, a devoted journalist on the MPost, focuses on cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a eager eye for rising traits and applied sciences, she delivers complete protection to tell and have interaction readers within the ever-evolving panorama of digital finance.

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