Crypto payment cards are showing a clearer stablecoin use case: routine spending through existing card networks.

a16z crypto says monthly crypto payment card volume reached $759 million in July, up from $306 million a year earlier and from less than $1 million when Paymentscan tracking began in October 2023. The figures cover onchain activity that Paymentscan attributes to tracked card programs, so they should be read as tracked volume rather than the whole market.

Transaction counts also moved higher. a16z says nearly 9 million purchases were made with crypto payment cards during July, compared with about 5.2 million a year earlier. The average transaction implied by those figures is still closer to everyday retail activity than institutional transfers.

The asset mix has shifted toward digital dollars. According to a16z, USDC accounted for about 58% of tracked card spending in July and USDT for about 26%, while euro-backed EURe fell to about 2% from an early-2024 lead.

Network distribution is spread across several chains. Paymentscan data cited by a16z puts Optimism at about 29% of crypto card spend volume in July, with Solana and Base each near 19%.

The numbers do not prove that stablecoin cards have gone mainstream. They do show that a measurable payment loop is forming around stablecoins, issuers, and card networks, with spending growth now visible in both volume and purchase counts.