TLDR
- Crypto card spending reached $1.04 billion in July, more than tripling year over year
- USDC and USDT funded over 70% of more than 10 million tracked transactions
- Average transaction size rose to $86, up from $59 a year earlier
- RedotPay, EtherFi, and KAST accounted for about 77% of tracked volume
- Latin America is seeing strong adoption, with groceries and food as top spending categories
Crypto card spending topped $1 billion in July, with stablecoins now funding the majority of everyday purchases made through these cards. Data from Paymentscan, cited by venture capital firm a16z, shows monthly volume reached $1.04 billion, up from much lower levels a year ago.
JUST IN: Crypto card spending hits $1B in July 2026, with stablecoins powering 70%+ of everyday buys. pic.twitter.com/CTi14kBOUF
— Whale Insider (@WhaleInsider) August 23, 2026
Dollar-backed stablecoins drove most of that activity. USDC accounted for 50.8% of July volume, while USDT made up another 20.3%. Together, they funded more than 70% of the over 10 million tracked transactions for the month.
The average transaction size also grew. Users spent about $86 per payment in July, compared to $59 a year earlier. Monthly volume hit $306 million in July 2025, according to the same data set.
The market remains concentrated among a few platforms. RedotPay generated $395.1 million of the July total. EtherFi followed with $100.3 million, and KAST added $89.6 million. Those three platforms made up roughly 77% of all tracked spending.
Visa said in June it had more than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs live or in development worldwide. StraitsX, a Visa partner, said transaction volume on its card infrastructure rose 40-fold between the fourth quarters of 2024 and 2025.
Everyday Spending Is Driving Growth
The types of purchases being made show a clear shift toward routine spending. Binance said its card users in Brazil increased 53% from launch through the second quarter of 2026, with volume up 80%. Top categories included ride-hailing, food delivery, groceries, restaurants, and online subscriptions.
Kraken reported its Krak Card saw weekly payments more than double over the past year to 8.3 per user. Retail and store purchases made up 59.3% of spending on the card.
Oobit reported that active Brazilian users spent around $400 across 20 transactions per month. Grocery stores accounted for 35% of regional activity. In Argentina, food made up 41% of transactions, with 72% of payments using USDT.
Growth Is Faster in Lower-Income Markets
StraitsX reported gross transaction value rose about 600% in lower-GDP markets between March 2025 and February 2026. Higher-GDP markets saw 150% growth over the same period. Food and retail were the top spending categories in both groups.
Coinbase said about 16% of combined card transaction volume involved USDC. Active Coinbase One cardholders spent roughly $3,000 per month across USDC, other crypto, and bank transfers. Coinbase also holds $20 billion in USDC across its products, up 44% over the past year.
RedotPay said its customer base grew more than 33% over six months to more than 8 million users. The euro-backed EURe stablecoin, which once made up 88% of tracked card spending in early 2024, fell to less than 2% of volume in July.
Crypto cards work by converting stablecoin balances at checkout, so merchants still receive local currency. This means stablecoins are funding familiar card networks rather than replacing them.
