The crypto asset industry has evolved over more than a decade, with global user holdings continuing to expand. Yet a persistent contradiction remains unresolved: users often have ample digital assets in their wallets, but struggle to use them for everyday purchases. Whether shopping at supermarkets, subscribing online, making cross-border payments, or withdrawing cash from ATMs, the path for digital assets to enter real-world economic scenarios remains far from seamless.
This situation is changing. Stablecoins have quickly moved beyond serving as settlement tools within exchanges, becoming globally accepted payment media. By early 2026, monthly spending via crypto payment cards reached between $500 million and $600 million, with an annualized run rate exceeding $5 billion. In May 2026, cumulative monthly transaction volume for crypto payment cards hit approximately $7.8 billion, marking a year-over-year growth of around 230%.
Gate Card, Gate’s digital asset Visa card, is tackling a fundamental question: can crypto assets truly become practical, everyday payment tools?
Market Size and Industry Trends in Crypto Payments
Crypto payments are shifting from niche applications to mainstream consumer infrastructure. In 2025, stablecoin annual transaction volume reached approximately $33 trillion, surpassing the combined $25.5 trillion processed by Visa and Mastercard.
As of May 2026, the global stablecoin market cap exceeded $320 billion. USDT holds roughly 58.9% of the market share, with a circulating supply close to $190 billion. According to Dune data, USDT leads in commercial payments, with about $95 billion in identifiable commercial payment volume in the first half of 2026.
Visa has launched more than 130 "stablecoin + bank card" integration projects across over 50 countries, with its stablecoin settlement business reaching an annualized transaction volume of $7 billion in April 2026. Traditional payment networks are systematically adopting digital assets as settlement tools.
These figures demonstrate that crypto payments are no longer experimental within the industry—they are growing into a scalable consumer settlement system.
The Structural Gap Between Holding and Spending
The core challenge in the digital asset industry isn’t asset scale. According to Gate market data as of July 13, 2026:
- Bitcoin is priced at $63,746.4, with a market cap of $1.27 trillion and a market share of 34.97%
- Ethereum is priced at $1,814.21, with a market cap of $218.944 billion and a market share of 5.82%
- GT is priced at $6.68, with a market cap of $711 million
The issue is this: users hold substantial digital assets, but find it difficult to spend them directly in daily life.
To use USDT for payments, users typically face a complex process: transfer USDT from their wallet to a trading account, sell it for fiat, withdraw to a bank account, and finally use a traditional bank card for purchases. This chain can take hours or days and incurs multiple fees.
Price volatility adds another layer of difficulty. Bitcoin changed +2.46% over the past 30 days and -45.66% over the past year; Ethereum shifted +7.31% in 30 days and -41.04% over the year. Users fear that assets spent today may appreciate significantly in the future, dampening their willingness to spend.
Stablecoins are different. The USDT price remains stable, making it naturally suited as a payment medium for daily expenses, but the infrastructure for direct spending is lacking. This gap has created a clear market demand for crypto payment infrastructure.
Gate Card’s Payment Logic: Eliminating Intermediaries
Gate Card is a digital asset Visa card directly linked to a Gate Pay payment account. Unlike traditional bank cards, its backing is not a bank balance, but a digital asset account.
Once users hold assets like USDT, BTC, ETH, or GT in their Gate Pay payment account, the system automatically performs two actions at the moment of purchase: it converts the selected digital asset to USD at the real-time exchange rate, then settles the transaction with the merchant via the Visa network. The entire process completes in seconds, and users experience a typical card swipe.
This design removes the "sell crypto, withdraw funds, then spend" intermediary steps. For stablecoin holders, Gate Card transforms USDT from a "held asset" into a "usable asset." There’s no need to manually exchange funds in advance; the system automatically converts the appropriate asset based on the payment amount.
Supported Asset Types
Currently, Gate Card supports four digital assets for direct payment: USDT, BTC, ETH, and GT. Users can choose any of these as the funding source when making purchases, provided they hold them in their Gate Pay payment account.
USDT, as a stablecoin, is naturally suited for daily spending. Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two largest crypto assets by market cap, can be used for spending as needed while supporting long-term holding. GT, Gate’s native ecosystem asset, offers additional payment options.
Available currencies may vary depending on card type, issuer, or region. Actual supported assets are determined by the card’s terms and displayed on the relevant pages.
Virtual and Physical Cards: Covering All Spending Scenarios
Gate Card offers both virtual and physical card options, allowing users to apply based on their needs.
Virtual cards are the preferred entry point for most users. After completing Level 2 personal identity verification, virtual card approval typically takes just 3 to 5 minutes. Once approved, the card can be activated and used immediately. Virtual cards are ideal for online shopping and can be linked to Apple Pay and Google Pay for contactless payments via mobile devices.
Physical cards support broader use cases: chip-and-pin payments, contactless transactions, and global ATM withdrawals. Both card types are free of issuance fees, monthly fees, and inactivity fees.
Cost Structure
Gate Card’s primary costs are:
Crypto conversion fee: 0.90% for transactions of $2 or more; $0.05 for transactions below $2.
Foreign exchange fee (non-USD transactions): 0.40% for Classic and Platinum cards, among the lowest in the industry.
ATM withdrawals incur a 2% fee. Daily withdrawal limit is $5,000; monthly limit is $15,000; annual limit is $50,000. Maximum per transaction is $5,000, with up to 10 withdrawals per day.
Cashback Points: Value Return from Spending
Gate Card has a points cashback system tied to VIP level and spending amount. Card tiers range from T0 to T5, with cashback rates from 1.00% up to 8.00%:
| Card Tier | Points Multiplier / Cashback Rate | Monthly Points Cashback Cap | Monthly Equivalent Cashback (USD) | Single Transaction Points Cashback Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T0 | 1x / 1.00% | 500 points | Up to 5U | 200 points |
| T1 | 1x / 1.00% | 5,000 points | Up to 50U | 1,500 points |
| T2 | 2x / 2.00% | 10,000 points | Up to 100U | 3,000 points |
| T3 | 3x / 3.00% | 15,000 points | Up to 150U | 5,000 points |
| T4 | 5x / 5.00% | 25,000 points | Up to 250U | 8,000 points |
| T5 | 8x / 8.00% | 40,000 points | Up to 400U | 15,000 points |
Points are redeemed at a fixed rate: 100 points = 1 USDT. For example, spending $100 earns 100 points, which can be exchanged for 1 USDT.
Points never expire and can be redeemed at any time. Currently, points can be exchanged for USDT and GT, with more currencies to be added in the future.
Card tier is determined by the user’s Gate VIP level or monthly card spending, whichever offers higher benefits. New tier benefits take effect the following month and last throughout the month.
The Shift from "Held Assets" to "Usable Assets"
The digital asset industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Previously, crypto assets were mainly used for trading and speculation, "sleeping" in exchange accounts or wallets. Now, with payment infrastructure like Gate Card maturing, digital assets are gaining true payment utility.
Stablecoins play a pivotal role in this shift. With advantages like "value stability, efficient transactions, and low costs," stablecoins are rapidly penetrating cross-border payments, daily spending, and B2B settlements. In 2025, on-chain stablecoin transfers totaled $33 trillion, far outpacing Visa ($15 trillion) and Mastercard ($9 trillion) annual volumes.
Gate Card enables BTC, USDT, ETH, and GT holdings to participate in real-world consumption, not just trading. From an industry perspective, this change signals digital assets are evolving toward a more complete financial ecosystem—a mature asset system requires not only trading markets, but also consumer scenarios.
Conclusion
The transition from "holding" to "using" crypto assets is essential for industry maturity. Gate Card connects digital asset accounts directly to the Visa payment network, allowing users to spend crypto at over 150 million merchants worldwide without intermediaries.
From stablecoin daily payments to value return via cashback points, Gate Card is redefining the flow of digital assets. Each purchase is no longer a one-way outflow, but part of a closed loop of asset reallocation and return.
For digital asset holders, Gate Card is more than a payment card—it’s a channel that transforms assets from "dormant" to "active." When crypto assets truly enter everyday spending, the closed loop of the digital economy becomes complete.
