The global payments infrastructure is undergoing a quiet yet profound transformation. In 2025, on-chain stablecoin transfer volume reached approximately $33 trillion, surpassing Visa’s annual payment volume for the first time. This milestone marks an irreversible shift as digital assets move from investment vehicles to everyday payment mediums. When on-chain assets can be directly settled at over 150 million merchants worldwide, "how to spend crypto assets" is no longer a technical challenge—it’s a product challenge. The Gate Card was created precisely in this context—not as a traditional bank card with added crypto functionality, but as a gateway that connects on-chain assets directly to the global consumer network.
Stablecoins: From Trading Tools to the Core Layer of Global Payment Infrastructure
The global payment system is being fundamentally rebuilt at the infrastructure level. The driving force behind this transformation isn’t a single traditional financial institution, but a rapidly growing asset class—stablecoins—which expanded from roughly $20 billion to more than $320 billion in just five years.
As of May 2026, USDT’s market cap stands at about $189.6 billion, accounting for 58.9% of the total stablecoin market cap. USDC follows with approximately $78 billion, and together they represent nearly 89% of the market. These figures reflect a deeper shift: stablecoins are evolving from crypto trading tools into universal value transfer layers.
Throughout 2025, on-chain stablecoin transfer volume reached around $33 trillion, exceeding Visa’s total payment and cash volume of roughly $16.7 trillion for the same period. In January 2026 alone, stablecoin on-chain transfers hit $10.5 trillion. With a market cap of about $320 billion, stablecoins drove $33 trillion in on-chain transfers, while Visa’s market cap of over $600 billion powered $16.7 trillion in annual payments. The capital efficiency of stablecoins is several times higher.
The fundamental driver behind this trend is genuine market demand: cross-border merchants want to receive payments in seconds, not days, and remittance users seek to reduce average fees of over 6% through traditional channels to negligible levels.
Visa’s Crypto Payment Trend: Stablecoins Enter Mainstream Settlement Networks
In April 2026, Visa announced the addition of five new blockchains to its global stablecoin settlement pilot, bringing the total supported blockchains to nine. The pilot’s annualized settlement volume has reached $700 million, up 50% from the previous quarter.
This move is significant: the world’s largest card clearing network is integrating stablecoins into its core settlement infrastructure. Visa now covers more than 130 card programs in over 50 countries and regions, embedding stablecoin settlement capabilities into mainstream merchant acceptance networks.
Consumer-side data confirms this trend. According to Dune Analytics, Visa crypto card net spending grew from $14.6 million in 2025 to $91.3 million—a 525% year-over-year increase—demonstrating rapidly rising demand for using digital assets in everyday purchases via cards.
Traditional card networks and stablecoin infrastructures are converging. The direct outcome of this integration is the crypto payment card—a product that allows users to spend on-chain assets at global merchants without manually converting to fiat currency beforehand.
Cross-Border Settlement Efficiency: How Stablecoins Are Reshaping Fund Flow Rules
Traditional cross-border payments rely on correspondent banking networks. A single cross-border transfer typically takes one to five business days, involving multiple banks for clearing and reconciliation, with each step incurring fees and time costs.
Stablecoins fundamentally change this dynamic. Value transfers on blockchain don’t depend on correspondent banks; settlement is completed once the transaction is confirmed on-chain. For example, in May 2026, Korea’s KB Financial Group completed a stablecoin pilot that reduced cross-border remittance fees by 87% compared to the SWIFT network, with transfers completed in just three minutes.
World Bank data shows that the average global cross-border remittance fee still exceeds 6%, imposing a heavy burden on low-income groups sending money to developing countries. Stablecoins enable peer-to-peer transfers via digital wallets, slashing costs and friction to a fraction of those in traditional channels.
The global cross-border remittance market is valued at roughly $900 billion. As stablecoin adoption grows in this sector, the efficiency gap in payment infrastructure is translating into tangible economic value.
Introducing Gate Card: A Direct Bridge Between On-Chain Assets and Global Spending Scenarios
Product Positioning and Issuance
Gate Card is a digital asset Visa card launched by Gate, directly linked to Gate Pay accounts. Users don’t need to convert USDT or other digital assets to fiat in advance; the system handles asset conversion and settlement at the moment of transaction.
The card comes in both virtual and physical formats. Virtual cards can be activated within three to five minutes after approval and are suitable for online shopping and Google Pay integration for in-store payments. Physical cards support chip, contactless, and ATM withdrawals. Gate Card is accepted at over 150 million Visa-supported merchants worldwide.
Currently, Gate Card supports USDT, BTC, ETH, and GT as payment sources. Available cryptocurrencies may vary based on card type and region.
Fee Structure
Gate Card issuance is free of charge. On April 25, 2026, Gate announced that all Gate Card spending fees were reduced to zero, with no tiered requirements—existing cardholders automatically benefit from this upgrade.
Actual usage costs include:
- Crypto conversion fee: 0.90% for transactions of $2 or more; $0.05 for transactions under $2.
- Foreign exchange fee: 0.4% for Classic and Platinum cards on non-USD transactions; 1% for Standard cards.
- ATM withdrawals: 2% of withdrawal amount.
- Other fees: $30 for chargebacks; $25 for card replacement.
Spending Limits
Gate Card spending limits increase with card tier. For example, the T4 card offers a per-transaction limit of $500,000, a monthly limit of $1,500,000, and an annual limit of $18,000,000. ATM withdrawals are capped at $5,000 per transaction, $5,000 per day, and $15,000 per month.
Core Advantages of Gate Card
Assets Stay Put, Limits Remain Accessible
Gate Card’s payment logic fundamentally differs from traditional crypto spending methods. Previously, a routine purchase might require several steps: transferring from wallet to exchange, selling for fiat, withdrawing to a bank account, then paying with a conventional card. Gate Card condenses this process into a single step—swipe the card or link a digital wallet to complete the transaction.
Users’ on-chain assets remain in their original form and are only accessed at the moment of purchase. The system handles real-time asset conversion and Visa network settlement without manual intervention.
Up to 5% Cashback: Turning Everyday Spending into Digital Asset Accumulation
Gate Card implements a rewards and cashback system based on spending behavior. Depending on card tier, users earn 1 to 5 points for every $1 spent; 100 points can be redeemed for 1 USDT, with a maximum cashback rate of 5%.
Points never expire and can be redeemed for USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, or GT. Card tier is determined by the user’s Gate VIP level and monthly spending:
- T0 (VIP 0-4): 1% cashback, monthly redemption cap of 500 points (5 USDT)
- T1 (VIP 5-7): 1% cashback, monthly redemption cap of 5,000 points (50 USDT)
- T2 (VIP 8): 2% cashback, monthly redemption cap of 10,000 points (100 USDT)
- T3 (VIP 9): 3% cashback, monthly redemption cap of 15,000 points (150 USDT)
- T4 (VIP 10-14): 5% cashback, monthly redemption cap of 25,000 points (250 USDT)
VIP 5 and above users enjoy guaranteed tier benefits without needing to meet minimum monthly spending requirements. While there’s a monthly redemption cap, users can continue to accumulate points and redeem them in subsequent months.
Zero Spending Fees and Low FX Costs
Since its April 2026 upgrade, Gate Card permanently offers zero spending fees. Combined with a 0.4% non-USD FX fee (for Classic and Platinum cards), Gate Card’s total cost for cross-border spending is significantly lower than most traditional credit cards.
In non-USD regions, traditional credit cards typically charge 1.5% to 3% for currency conversion. Gate Card reduces this cost to 0.4% and offers up to 5% cashback, making net positive returns possible for users when spending abroad.
Contactless Payments and Global Acceptance Network
Gate Card supports contactless NFC payments via physical cards and Google Pay. Simply tap your phone at the terminal to complete transactions; small purchases don’t require PIN verification. The card also offers real-time transaction notifications and in-app freeze/unfreeze controls, allowing users to lock their card at any time for risk management.
Visa’s global network covers over 150 million merchants, giving Gate Card acceptance on par with mainstream bank cards. Whether for cross-border online subscriptions, business travel hotel bookings, or daily coffee and transit expenses, payments can be made directly from on-chain assets.
Direct Account Linking, Zero Top-Up Friction
Gate Card links directly to users’ Gate spot accounts, eliminating the need for a separate card wallet or manual top-ups. USDT, BTC, ETH, or GT balances are immediately available for spending, with the system deducting from the account balance in real time during transactions. This design removes the friction of pre-transferring funds to card sub-accounts common in traditional crypto spending cards.
Conclusion
The trend of stablecoins evolving from trading tools to the core layer of payment infrastructure is firmly established. Visa’s integration of stablecoin settlement into its clearing network, the reality of global cross-border remittance fees still exceeding 6%, and a 525% annual increase in consumer crypto card spending—all point in the same direction: holding digital assets and using them directly for everyday purchases is becoming the norm for the majority, not just a select few.
Gate Card’s role in this landscape is clear: it reduces friction for bringing on-chain assets into spending scenarios, making asset holding itself a means of payment. Zero spending fees, up to 5% cashback, a 0.4% FX rate, and direct spot account linking together create a mechanism that turns everyday spending into digital asset accumulation. For users who already hold USDT and other stablecoins and seek more efficient ways to spend, Gate Card offers a direct, low-cost, and continuously rewarding path.
