Recently, there has been frequent activity in the crypto payment space, and a trend that is gaining increasing attention is stablecoin-powered payment cards.

Haseeb Qureshi, a partner at Dragonfly Capital, recently shared his view that this will become a core topic in the crypto industry by 2026. At first glance, it might not seem significant, but upon closer reflection, it makes sense: stablecoin cards can preserve the user experience of traditional payments while leveraging blockchain advantages for fast settlement and low-cost transactions. This combination allows crypto technology to integrate more smoothly into the global payment system, rather than remaining a niche interest for tech enthusiasts.

At the time of this statement, stablecoin payment startup Rain announced it had completed $250 million in funding, with a valuation approaching $2 billion. This is not just a number; the underlying growth data is truly compelling.

What does Rain’s performance look like in 2025? The number of active cards increased by approximately 30 times. Looking at annualized payment volume, it expanded nearly 40 times. Among fintech companies, this growth rate is already among the top tier. More importantly, Rain supports not only mainstream stablecoins like USDT and USDC but also covers blockchain networks such as Ethereum, Solana, Tron, and Stellar, making its ecosystem highly comprehensive.

From a broader macro perspective, this track itself is expanding rapidly. Bloomberg Intelligence predicts that by 2030, the stablecoin payment volume will grow at a compound annual rate of 81%, reaching $56.6 trillion. This figure may seem distant, but if stablecoin payments indeed start gaining momentum in 2026, such growth rates are not unreasonable.

Regulatory bodies are also keeping pace. The US has passed the GENIUS Act, and the UK and Canada are planning to advance stablecoin regulatory frameworks around 2026. This indicates that countries are preparing for this wave rather than passively reacting.

Even more interestingly, institutional players are taking action. Western Union announced plans to launch a stablecoin settlement system on Solana in the first half of 2026, along with supporting stablecoin cards, targeting emerging markets. A century-old remittance giant embracing blockchain itself sends a signal — stablecoin payments are shifting from niche innovation to mainstream choice.