Stablecoin cards poised to surge in 2026 as Rain raises $250M
Crypto venture capital firms expect stablecoin-linked payment cards to scale in 2026, following fintech startup Rain’s $250 million funding round aimed at expanding stablecoin-based transactions.
Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at crypto-focused venture firm Dragonfly, said on Friday via X that stablecoin-powered cards are poised to become a major theme in 2026 as crypto integrates more deeply into global payment flows. He added that stablecoin cards are seeing rapid uptake worldwide after Rain’s latest raise, which values the company at nearly $2 billion.
Rain reported a 30-fold increase in active cards and nearly 40 times growth in annualized payment volume in 2025, positioning it among the fastest-growing fintech firms globally. The platform supports Tether (USDT) and USDC (USDC) across Ethereum, Solana, Tron, and Stellar.
Qureshi noted that a new cohort of stablecoin startups is embedding blockchain into payment infrastructure to deliver faster settlement, lower costs, and broader reach while keeping the consumer experience consistent. He said many users are able to transact in dollars at any time and location without needing to know that crypto powers the underlying system.
Bloomberg Intelligence projected on Thursday that stablecoin payment volumes could grow at an 81% Compounded Annual Growth Rate to $56.6 trillion by 2030.
Stablecoin cards may see limited traction in developed markets
Some industry investors are skeptical that stablecoin payments will displace traditional card networks in developed economies. Sheel Mohnot, general partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, argued that merchant acceptance of stablecoins lacks a built-in customer base, exclusivity, and compelling incentives to drive significant change.
Pantera Capital investor Mason Nystrom disagreed, pointing to benefits such as instant payouts, immediate settlement, and protection against chargebacks. He said stablecoin payment rails are set to permeate the broader fintech stack, with some incumbents likely to adopt the technology and others potentially being replaced, and that stablecoin checkout could become substantial.
Stablecoin oversight advances
Regulatory efforts are progressing, with the GENIUS Act’s passage in the United States appearing to accelerate momentum late last year. Canada and the United Kingdom have also renewed work on stablecoin frameworks targeted for 2026 or the near term.
Institutional initiatives are expanding as well. Remittance provider Western Union plans to roll out a stablecoin settlement system on the Solana blockchain in the first half of 2026 and introduce a stablecoin card to facilitate consumer spending in emerging markets.
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