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Lydian has published research showing strong consumer interest in using stablecoins for everyday payments in several emerging markets. The survey covered 7,500 consumers in Argentina, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya and the UAE.
The findings show that 76% of respondents are likely to use stablecoins for small daily purchases such as coffee, groceries and transport, while 73% are likely to use them for recurring bills including rent, utilities and tuition.
Another 72% said they would actively choose a retailer that offers stablecoin payments alongside cash and cards. A third said they had already used stablecoins for a payment or transfer in the past month, suggesting their use has moved beyond trading and remittances into routine spending.
The research points to inflation and currency weakness as major drivers of demand. It found that 76% said inflation had reduced their purchasing power over the past year, while 71% said a payment method that protects against currency devaluation would be very or extremely valuable.
Consumers also linked stablecoins to lower cross-border costs. The study found that 73% would use them for international payments to avoid foreign exchange mark-ups and transaction fees.
For merchants, the figures suggest a possible shift in how payment choice affects customer acquisition. In markets where credit card access remains uneven but mobile wallets are more common, accepting digital dollar-linked tokens could help retailers appeal to customers who already hold funds in digital form.
The results also point to further room for growth. Among respondents who do not currently use stablecoins, 30% said they plan to adopt them in future.
Market pressure
Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to maintain a fixed value against an underlying asset, usually a fiat currency such as the US dollar. Supporters argue that they offer a way to move money digitally without the volatility associated with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
That proposition appears to resonate more strongly in countries where inflation, foreign exchange friction and limited access to conventional banking services are more pressing concerns. The survey spans regions in South America, Africa, Asia and the Gulf, where interest in digital assets for payments and transfers has been growing.
Lydian describes itself as a stablecoin payments specialist focused on merchant acceptance at the point of sale. It says it enables merchants and payment providers to accept stablecoins and other digital assets while receiving settlement in local currencies.
"We discount everyday stablecoin usage because we look at it from a purely Western perspective. But when you look at these emerging and frontier regions, you have a different starting point. Not everyone has access to credit cards, but people may already have money sitting in a digital wallet. If that's where your customer holds their money, there's a clear commercial reason to enable them to spend it. This Index supports that trend, but also highlights how significant the appetite for adoption is. We're not talking about random, one-off stablecoin purchases but a full spectrum of payments - from morning coffee to monthly rent," said Carl Grimstad, Chief Executive Officer at Lydian.
According to background information released alongside the survey, the company is backed by Tether and Cantor Fitzgerald. Its business model centres on linking digital asset holdings to conventional retail payments, an area where several financial and technology groups are now competing as stablecoins attract greater regulatory and commercial attention.
The survey adds to a broader debate over whether stablecoins will remain mainly a tool for crypto trading and transfers or become part of mainstream consumer payments. In the markets covered by Lydian's research, respondents indicated that the appeal lies less in novelty than in the prospect of preserving value and cutting transaction costs.
That is particularly relevant for retailers operating in economies where inflation has weakened household budgets. The survey's central finding is that payment acceptance itself may become a competitive differentiator, with consumers signalling a willingness to switch merchants if stablecoins are offered at the till.