Nearly 40% of crypto users now receive part of their income in stablecoins. That’s not speculation—it’s payment infrastructure.
A survey of 4,658 crypto users across 15 countries found 39% receive income in stablecoins, while 27% use them for everyday payments. YouGov conducted the study for BVNK, a London-based payments firm, polling adults who currently hold or plan to acquire cryptocurrency between September and October 2025.
The numbers show adoption concentrated where traditional finance fails hardest. Ownership hit 60% in middle- and lower-income economies versus 45% in high-income countries. Africa recorded 79% ownership—the highest globally—and the strongest year-over-year growth in holdings.
Why stablecoins for paychecks? Two reasons dominated: lower fees and faster cross-border transfers. Users receiving income in stablecoins said the assets account for about 35% of their annual earnings on average. Those making cross-border transfers reported fee savings around 40% compared with traditional remittance services.
That 40% savings matters when you’re sending money home.
Wallet balances reveal the use case. Global average: $200. High-income economies: $1,000. These aren’t investment positions. They’re working balances for people getting paid and spending in stablecoins rather than converting to local currency.
The merchant acceptance effect showed up clearly. More than half of crypto holders made a purchase specifically because a merchant accepted stablecoins. In emerging markets that figure jumped to 60%. Another data point: 42% want to use stablecoins for major or lifestyle purchases, but only 28% currently do so. The intent outpaces the infrastructure.
What about storage preferences? Users spread across platforms rather than concentrating in one place. Exchange platforms led at 46%, followed by payment apps with crypto features like PayPal or Venmo at 40%, and mobile crypto wallet apps at 39%. Hardware wallets—the security-focused choice—pulled just 13%.
A BVNK spokesperson told Cointelegraph the study examined usage patterns among existing and prospective crypto users rather than measuring broader population adoption. They noted respondents tend to hold multiple dollar- and euro-pegged stablecoins rather than relying on a single issuer. Diversification at the user level.
The banking system sees the shift coming. Survey found 77% of respondents would open a stablecoin wallet with their primary bank or fintech provider if offered. Another 71% expressed interest in using a linked debit card to spend stablecoins. That’s not crypto-native behavior—that’s mainstream payment expectations applied to stablecoins.
Corporate payroll systems are already moving. On February 11, global payroll platform Deel announced it will begin offering stablecoin salary payouts through a partnership with MoonPay. Rollout starts next month for workers in the United Kingdom and European Union, then expands to the US.
How does it work? Employees opt to receive part or all of their wages in stablecoins to non-custodial wallets. MoonPay handles conversion and onchain settlement. Deel continues managing payroll and compliance. The division of labor matters—MoonPay takes the crypto infrastructure piece while Deel maintains the employer relationship and regulatory obligations.
Enterprise activity accelerated elsewhere too. Paystand recently acquired Bitwage, a platform focused on cross-border stablecoin payouts. The deal expands digital asset settlement and foreign exchange capabilities across Paystand’s B2B payments network, which has processed more than $20 billion in payment volume according to the company.
Regulatory shifts enabled the payroll integration. The GENIUS Act passed in the United States. Europe implemented its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. Both created frameworks for stablecoins to operate within existing financial compliance structures. Companies now have legal clarity to add digital asset settlement options for wages and cross-border payouts.
Why stablecoins work for payments where Bitcoin doesn’t: price stability. Stablecoins are typically pegged 1:1 to fiat currencies like the US dollar or euro. That makes them suitable for paychecks, invoices, and rent payments. Bitcoin’s volatility—while attractive to traders—destroys its utility as a unit of account for regular expenses.
The stablecoin market reflects growing payment adoption. According to DefiLlama, the market currently stands at $307.8 billion, up from $260.4 billion on July 19—around the time the GENIUS Act was signed into law. That’s $47.4 billion in net inflows over roughly seven months.
BVNK itself operates as stablecoin-focused payments infrastructure for enterprises. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in London, the company partnered with San Francisco-based Highnote in June to introduce stablecoin-based funding for embedded finance card programs. These infrastructure plays target the gap between blockchain rails and traditional payment interfaces.
The survey data suggests stablecoins are shifting from crypto trading tools to payment instruments—especially in markets where remittance fees eat into earnings and cross-border transfers take days instead of minutes. When 35% of someone’s annual income arrives in stablecoins, that’s not experimentation. That’s how they get paid.
Question is whether high-income economies follow the same adoption curve or whether existing payment infrastructure proves sticky enough to slow integration. For now, emerging markets are leading.
