- Visa crypto card spending grew more than 5x in 2025, led by EtherFi.
- Stablecoins are becoming central to Visa’s long-term payments strategy.
- Ethereum’s scaling upgrades are enabling real-world crypto adoption.
Visa-issued crypto cards quietly became one of the fastest-growing use cases in digital assets in 2025. New data shows spending on these cards surged by more than 500% over the year, signaling a shift from crypto speculation toward everyday payments.
The rise comes as Visa deepens its stablecoin strategy and Ethereum edges closer to solving long-standing scalability challenges — two forces now converging to push crypto into mainstream financial activity.
Crypto Card Spending Explodes in 2025
According to on-chain analytics, total net spending across six Visa-backed crypto cards jumped from $14.6 million in January to $91.3 million by December. The cards are issued by a mix of payments platforms and decentralized finance projects, highlighting growing demand beyond centralized exchanges.
EtherFi’s Visa-linked card dominated usage, recording $55.4 million in annual spend — more than double its nearest competitor. Cypher followed with $20.5 million, while GnosisPay, Exa App, Avici Money, and Moonwell accounted for the remainder.
The data points to a broader behavioral shift. Rather than holding crypto purely as an investment, users are increasingly spending digital assets and stablecoins directly through familiar payment rails.
Why Stablecoins Matter to Visa’s Strategy
Visa’s growing embrace of stablecoins appears to be a key driver behind the surge. Over the past year, the payments giant expanded stablecoin support across four blockchains and rolled out infrastructure aimed at banks, fintechs, and merchants.
In December, Visa formalized that push by launching a dedicated stablecoin advisory unit. The team is tasked with helping institutions deploy, manage, and integrate stablecoin products — a sign the firm views tokenized dollars as a core component of future payments.
By pairing stablecoins with crypto cards, Visa reduces volatility risk for users while preserving the speed and flexibility of blockchain settlement.
Ethereum’s Scaling Breakthrough Adds Momentum
Behind the scenes, Ethereum’s technical progress is strengthening this payments narrative. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently argued that the network has effectively solved the blockchain trilemma — balancing decentralization, security, and scalability — through live upgrades.
Key improvements such as peer data availability sampling (PeerDAS) and production-ready zkEVMs are already boosting Ethereum’s data capacity and transaction potential. While zkEVMs still require further security hardening, Buterin expects them to become central to Ethereum’s validation process over the next several years.
For payments and stablecoins, this matters. A more scalable Ethereum means cheaper, faster, and more reliable settlement — critical ingredients for mass-market card usage.
Also Read: Can Compliance Pay Off? HashKey Takes Hong Kong’s Crypto Rules to Market
The explosive growth of Visa crypto card spending in 2025 marks a turning point. What once felt experimental is now functioning as real financial infrastructure, powered by stablecoins and maturing blockchain technology.
As Visa doubles down on tokenized payments and Ethereum continues to scale, crypto cards are no longer a niche product. They are becoming a bridge between traditional finance and a blockchain-native economy.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of CoinBrief.io. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. CoinBrief.io is not responsible for any financial losses.
