Crypto Payments Hit A Turning Point With Visa Card Use Up Over 500%

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-01-05Last updated on 2026-01-05

Abstract

Visa-backed cryptocurrency cards experienced a dramatic surge in consumer spending in 2025, with a 525% increase in net spend—growing from $14.6 million in January to $91.3 million by December. Leading this growth were cards from EtherFi and Cypher, which dominated the majority of transactions. The steady, month-over-month rise indicates growing user adoption, with cardholders increasingly using crypto balances directly for everyday purchases instead of converting to fiat. Visa has expanded its support for stablecoins and tokenized payments, aligning with this trend. While still not mainstream due to regulatory and acceptance barriers, crypto payments are transitioning from niche experiments to real-world use.

Visa-backed crypto cards recorded a sharp rise in consumer spending last year, with total net spend jumping 525% from January to December. According to data compiled from on-chain trackers, spending moved from $14.6 million in January to $91.3 million by the end of December.

Major Cards Driving The Growth

Most of the rise was concentrated in a small group of cards. Data shows that EtherFi’s Visa card accounted for $55.4 million of the total, more than double second-place Cypher’s $20.5 million. The six cards tracked include offerings from GnosisPay, Cypher, EtherFi, Avici Money, Exa App, and Moonwell.

Source: Dune Analytics

Spending Patterns And Data Source

Data from Dune Analytics shows the figures measure net spend on Visa-issued crypto cards run by blockchain projects partnering with Visa. The growth appears to be steady across the year rather than a single spike, with month-by-month net spend rising through 2025.

According to Polygon researcher @obchakevich_ on X Sunday, these numbers show that crypto cards are gaining traction with users and highlight how important crypto and stablecoins have become for Visa’s worldwide payment network.

What This Means For Payments

Analysts and researchers say this jump suggests some crypto cards are moving into regular everyday use for certain groups of customers. Based on reports, cardholders are using crypto balances to pay for routine purchases instead of always converting to fiat first. That shift could make stablecoins and crypto rails more relevant for payments firms and banks.

Total crypto market cap at $3.12 trillion on the daily chart: TradingView

Visa Moves On Stablecoins And Advisory Work

Visa has been active on the stablecoin front and has signaled plans to support broader stablecoin infrastructure for payments. Reports show Visa launched initiatives to help banks and partners build out stablecoin solutions and set up advisory work around tokenized money late in 2025. Those moves line up with the card-use data, which some observers see as a practical test of crypto payment flows at scale.

Growth on a small set of cards does not mean mass adoption yet. Observers caution that regulation, consumer protection, and merchant acceptance remain key constraints. At the same time, the numbers do show that crypto-linked payments are no longer just a niche experiment; they are being used for real transactions by measurable groups of users.

Featured image from Cebuana Lhuillier, chart from TradingView

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Related Questions

QWhat was the percentage increase in consumer spending on Visa-backed crypto cards from January to December, as reported in the article?

AConsumer spending on Visa-backed crypto cards increased by 525% from January to December.

QWhich specific crypto card accounted for the largest portion of the total net spend, and how much was it?

AEtherFi’s Visa card accounted for the largest portion, with a total net spend of $55.4 million.

QAccording to the article, what does the growth in crypto card spending suggest about their use?

AThe growth suggests that crypto cards are moving into regular everyday use for certain groups of customers, with cardholders using crypto balances directly for routine purchases instead of always converting to fiat first.

QWhat key constraints for broader adoption of crypto-linked payments are mentioned by observers?

AObservers caution that regulation, consumer protection, and merchant acceptance remain key constraints for mass adoption.

QWhat broader initiatives has Visa undertaken in the stablecoin space, as detailed in the article?

AVisa has launched initiatives to help banks and partners build out stablecoin solutions and set up advisory work around tokenized money, signaling plans to support broader stablecoin infrastructure for payments.

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