Two surveys released on Monday point to rising interest in digital assets across different segments of the market. Visa’s Consumer 360 study of Asia Pacific consumers revealed a wide gap between stated intention to use stablecoins and actual recent usage, while a separate CoinShares report showed that a majority of affluent investors in seven major Western markets already hold digital assets.

Asia Pacific Consumers Signal Strong Future Interest

Visa surveyed 14,250 people aged 18 to 65 across 14 Asia Pacific markets between June and July 2026. The markets included mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Australia and New Zealand.

The study found that 46% of respondents said they were likely to use stablecoins within the next five years. By contrast, only 16% reported having used them in the previous 12 months. Interest extended beyond trading to everyday applications such as online purchases, travel spending and overseas shopping.

Cross-border money movement emerged as a particularly strong potential use case, with 49% of respondents believing stablecoins could become a common method for sending money across borders within five years.

Intent varied by market. Vietnam and India recorded the highest future-use interest at 67% each. Awareness was highest in Hong Kong at 84%, followed by India at 80% and Thailand at 77%.

Knowledge Gaps and Trust Preferences Persist

While awareness of stablecoins stood at 66%, only 6% of respondents demonstrated an accurate understanding of how the tokens work. Forty-one percent incorrectly believed that stablecoins always increase in value, and 49% of those aware of them thought the tokens could only be used to buy or sell other cryptocurrencies.

Among consumers who knew about stablecoins but had never used them, 38% cited fears of fraud or scams as their primary reason for avoiding them. Another 36% said they did not understand the technology well enough.

When asked whom they would trust to offer stablecoin services, respondents preferred regulated entities. Government or central bank-linked organizations ranked first at 27%, followed closely by banks or regulated financial institutions at 26%.

Visa said it is working with banks, regulated financial institutions and payment partners to integrate stablecoin functionality into existing payment experiences that consumers already trust.

Affluent Investors Show High Existing Ownership

Separately, CoinShares published results from a survey of 2,230 affluent investors conducted between May 11 and June 5. Participants held between $500,000 and more than $1 million in investable assets across the United States and six European markets: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

A majority already held digital assets in every market surveyed. Ownership reached 70% in the United States, the UK and Germany, 69% in Switzerland, 66% in France, 58% in Italy and 54% in Sweden.

Average allocations clustered near 10% of portfolios. Among current digital-asset investors, 91% in the United States, the UK and Germany said they were likely to increase their exposure in 2026. The figures stood at 87% in France, 85% in Italy, 78% in Switzerland and 71% in Sweden.

Bitcoin was held by 80% of digital-asset investors on average, and 89% of Bitcoin investors also held other digital assets. Strategic motives such as long-term appreciation and diversification ranked ahead of speculation across all seven markets.

The two studies cover distinct populations and time periods and cannot be directly compared. Visa focused on general consumers in Asia Pacific, while CoinShares examined high-net-worth investors in Western markets.

Visa Expands Stablecoin Infrastructure

The survey findings coincide with Visa’s continued expansion of stablecoin-related services. The company supports more than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs globally. Payment volume across those programs rose nearly 200% year over year. Roughly 17% of that volume in fiscal 2026 year-to-date came from business and commercial programs.

Visa’s stablecoin settlement volume has surpassed a $20 billion annualized run rate. The company has also launched an enterprise platform that allows banks, fintech firms and crypto businesses to mint, hold, transfer and redeem stablecoins.

Partnerships in Asia Pacific include agreements with South Korea’s Shinhan Financial Group covering stablecoin issuance, transfers, redemption and potential card settlement, as well as work with Dunamu, operator of Upbit, on payments and international remittances.

Markets including Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan contribute to Visa’s settlement activity through partners such as Crypto.com, Coinbase, StraitsX and Nium.