Dragonfly says stablecoin payment cards set to surge in 2026

Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at crypto-focused venture firm Dragonfly, said stablecoin-powered cards are shaping up to be one of the biggest crypto themes of 2026. He posted the comment to X Friday after stablecoin startup Rain raised $250 million in a funding round that pushed its valuation to nearly $2 billion.

Rain said it increased its active card base 30-fold and its annualized payment volume by nearly 40 times in 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing fintech companies globally. The platform supports major stablecoins including Tether (USDT) and USDC across Ethereum, Solana, Tron and Stellar.

Qureshi said users 'don't even know that it's crypto under the hood' and that they can pay and buy in dollars 'any time, anywhere, and it all just works.' Bloomberg Intelligence predicted stablecoin payment flows would increase at an 81% compounded annual growth rate to $56.6 trillion by 2030, according to Tom Dunleavy.

Not everyone is convinced stablecoin cards will displace traditional cards in developed markets: Sheel Mohnot of Better Tomorrow Ventures said merchant acceptance 'lacks a captive audience, exclusivity, and killer incentives.' Pantera Capital investor Mason Nystrom countered that stablecoin payments give merchants 'instant payouts, immediate settlement, and chargeback protection' and said 'Stablecoin rails are coming for the entire fintech stack.' Regulatory and institutional moves are also under way.

Key Topics

Crypto, Stablecoin Cards, Dragonfly, Rain, Tether, Usdc