Retail stablecoin card spend grew over 105% annually, with issuers reducing trapped capital by 40% via weekend settlements.
Stablecoin-based card spending has doubled year-over-year, driven by retail adoption in Latin America. Issuers report a 105% to 106% increase in spend over the past 12 months, with growth accelerating in key markets.
The shift enables weekend and holiday settlements, cutting trapped capital by over 40%. This improves card economics and financial flexibility for issuers, according to industry executives. Partnerships with networks like Mastercard allow stablecoin transactions at existing merchants without new infrastructure.
Stablecoin cards could soon account for double-digit market share in some LatAm markets. Issuers are exploring on-chain settlement for regulated stablecoins, though they emphasize not replacing traditional card networks.