S&P Global: US consumers remain cautious about stablecoins and AI agents

BlockBeats news, September 13 — S&P Global Market Intelligence's Q2 "Voice of the Customer" survey shows that digital wallets have become the mainstream payment method for U.S. consumers, but cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and AI agents still face strong trust and security barriers.

The survey shows that 67% of respondents used digital wallets in the past 90 days, with 45% using them weekly; in contrast, 68% of consumers have never encountered cryptocurrency, and 59% believe cryptocurrency has no practical use. Stablecoin awareness is only 16%, with main concerns including scam risk (48%), fund security (46%), and "no need for it" (39%).

Acceptance of AI agents is similarly limited, with 47% of respondents saying they would not allow AI to make purchases on their behalf at all. Among consumers willing to use AI in payments, most still require human confirmation or only accept recommendation-only models.

S&P Global noted that regulatory clarity alone may not be enough to change consumer attitudes toward stablecoins, and issuers still need to address core trust issues such as fraud and fund security.