Bank-Style Safeguards Could Drive Major Stablecoin Growth in America: Visa Research
New research published by Visa suggests that implementing bank-equivalent safeguards for stablecoins has the potential to significantly boost their usage across the United States, as industry participants brace for the implementation of the GENIUS Act.
Visa has published survey findings indicating that the implementation of bank-equivalent fraud safeguards and insurance coverage has the potential to significantly boost stablecoin usage for international money transfers among American consumers.
According to a survey encompassing 2,192 participants based in the United States and released on Wednesday, Visa reported that the "adoption intention" for stablecoins among American consumers has the potential to increase from 36% to 56% "in a hypothetical scenario with bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance." The research, which was carried out by Morning Consult during the February through March timeframe, revealed that Americans questioned about financial instruments such as stablecoins expressed interest in quicker and more affordable options for transferring funds internationally.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) [of respondents] say trust depends more on who offers a payment method than on the tech itself. Willingness to use stablecoins rises from 36% to 45% when offered through an existing financial provider.
Visa
The research suggested implementing bank-equivalent safeguards for entities issuing stablecoins within the United States during a period when businesses are getting ready for the implementation of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The legislation is currently waiting for completed regulations from major US financial regulatory bodies in advance of its scheduled implementation date, anticipated in January 2027.
In contrast to offerings from conventional financial entities such as banking institutions, stablecoins do not provide many of the safeguards against fraud and lack coverage from deposit insurance administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). When GENIUS takes effect beginning in January, stablecoins in the US are still not anticipated to receive FDIC insurance coverage or explicit fraud safeguards, though the legislation will provide guidelines designed to combat illegal activities.
EU banks push for changes to minimum bank deposit for stablecoins
Earlier this week on Tuesday, the European System of Central Banks issued a call for modifying the regulatory requirements mandating that stablecoins maintain a minimum of 30% of their reserves in the form of bank deposits, or 60% in the case of "significant" digital tokens. The organization advocated instead for implementing liquidity thresholds for these digital assets, referencing potential dangers stemming from users rapidly withdrawing their deposits.
The suggested modifications regarding how banking institutions in the EU handle stablecoins came under the jurisdiction of the region's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework, which commenced the enforcement of its stablecoin-related regulations in June 2024.
Based on data from Decta, a payments infrastructure provider, the total market capitalization of euro stablecoins meeting regulatory compliance requirements experienced growth exceeding double from 2025 through 2026 in the period preceding the conclusion of MiCA's transition phase. Stablecoins pegged to the US dollar such as USDC and USDT remain the dominant players in the stablecoin sector with a collective market capitalization totaling approximately $260 billion.