Bots Dominate Stablecoin Transactions, Visa Study Finds

Visa's latest analysis reveals that bots account for the vast majority of stablecoin transactions, with less than 10% originating from legitimate customers. According to the new metric from Visa and Allium Labs, only $149 billion out of the $2.2 trillion in transactions last month were attributed to "organic funds activity."

Bots Dominate Stablecoin Transactions, Visa Analysis Uncovers

A recent analysis conducted by Visa and Allium Labs has revealed that bots are fueling the vast majority of stablecoin transactions. According to a novel metric developed by the research team, less than 10% of stablecoin transactions originate from genuine human users. Of the $2.2 trillion in total transactions processed last month, only $149 billion — a mere fraction — were attributed to "organic fund activity."

The findings, reported exclusively by Bloomberg News on Sunday, have raised concerns about the maturity of stablecoins as a viable payment solution. Pranav Sood, Executive General Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Airwallex, a payment platform, commented on the data, stating, "It suggests that stablecoins are still in a very nascent stage of their evolution as a payment instrument." Sood emphasizes the importance of focusing on improving the functionality of current systems in the short to medium term before widespread adoption can be expected.

Sood further noted that Airwallex has observed limited demand for stablecoin-based payment options, as many find the technology to be user-unfriendly. "It's a very important barrier to overcome," Sood told Bloomberg. "It's important to remember that in the U.S., people are still using checks to pay for somewhere between 40% and 60% of business payments, which gives you a sense of where the market really is when it comes to technological adoption."

Stablecoins are a unique form of cryptocurrency pegged to a stable value, typically tied to fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or the euro, or to assets like gold or commodities. Their stability makes them less susceptible to the extreme price fluctuations that characterize traditional cryptocurrencies.

Last month, PYMNTS explored the potential of stablecoins as payment methods following the launch of the Visa/Allium platform. "Unlike conventional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which are infamous for their price fluctuations, stablecoins offer a level of stability that closely mirrors that of traditional currencies," PYMNTS noted. "Their immediate benefits for businesses include the potential to streamline cross-border transactions and provide a new tool for more efficient liquidity management."

The report acknowledges that widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies in the payment sphere remains elusive but highlights various recent initiatives aimed at boosting the use of stablecoins. For instance, Stripe announced its re-entry into the cryptocurrency payment sector last month after a six-year hiatus, with plans to support international stablecoin payments as early as this summer.

PayPal and cross-border money transfer service Xoom have also partnered to allow users to make international transactions using PayPal's USD stablecoin, which the company launched last summer. In April, blockchain and cryptocurrency company Ripple unveiled plans to launch its own dollar-pegged stablecoin. These developments indicate a growing interest in stablecoins as a potential solution to the challenges of cross-border payments and liquidity management.

However, the dominance of bots in stablecoin transactions, as revealed by Visa's latest research, suggests that the widespread adoption of stablecoins is still hampered by technological barriers and a lack of user-friendliness. The industry must address these challenges by improving the functionality and accessibility of stablecoin-based payment systems.