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<p>The global cryptocurrency card market has crossed a major threshold, reaching an $18 billion annualized spending run rate, driven by a clear shift in how users are spending digital assets. Stablecoins are no longer limited to trading or on-chain transfers.</p>
<p>They are increasingly being used for everyday retail payments, from groceries to dining.</p>
<h4>Stablecoins Take Over Daily Spending</h4>
<p>According to recent data from payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard, stablecoins now represent more than 70% of all crypto card transaction volume. USDC and RLUSD dominate this activity, signaling a decisive move away from volatile assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum at the point of sale.</p>
<p>Consumers are prioritizing price stability when spending, opting for USD-pegged assets to preserve purchasing power. At the same time, advances in Layer-2 infrastructure, including Base and Solana, have pushed average transaction fees below $0.01, making small, everyday purchases economically viable for the first time at scale.</p>
<h4>What’s Driving Growth in 2026</h4>
<p>Several structural changes are accelerating adoption this year. Large brokerage platforms such as Interactive Brokers and Robinhood now offer near-instant, 24/7 stablecoin funding for their card programs. This removes the traditional banking “weekend gap” and allows users to spend funds immediately.</p>
<p>Merchant acceptance is also expanding rapidly. Payment processors including Stripe and Adyen have integrated stablecoin settlement directly into their systems, lowering friction for retailers and increasing global coverage.</p>
<p>In high-inflation economies such as Argentina and Turkey, crypto card usage has doubled since 2025. Consumers in these regions are increasingly using USD-pegged stablecoins as a practical hedge against local currency devaluation.</p>
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<h4>Leading Players Expand Footprint</h4>
<p>Major providers are scaling aggressively to meet demand:</p>
<ul>
 <li>Visa partnered with more than 15 new neobanks in Q1 2026, focusing on stablecoin-native card issuance.</li>
 <li>BitPay reported a 35% increase in everyday spending categories, including food and groceries, in January 2026.</li>
 <li>Crypto.com expanded its “Pay” feature to over 100,000 retail locations worldwide.</li>
</ul>
<h4>What Comes Next</h4>
<p>If current adoption trends continue, analysts estimate that total crypto card spending could surpass $25 billion by December 2026. The data suggests that crypto cards are evolving from a niche product into a mainstream payment rail, with stablecoins emerging as the backbone of real-world crypto commerce.</p>
<p>The shift marks a broader transformation: crypto is no longer just an investment vehicle. It is becoming a functional payment layer for the global economy.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/global-crypto-card-spending-hits-18-billion-as-stablecoins-go-mainstream/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Global Crypto Card Spending Hits $18 Billion as Stablecoins Go Mainstream</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ethnews.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ETHNews</a>.</p>

Global Crypto Card Spending Hits $18 Billion as Stablecoins Go Mainstream

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