Base Takes the Lead in Onchain Card Settlement Onchain crypto card spending surpassed $635 million in July 2026, with settlement activity spreading across multiple blockchain networks, accord
Onchain crypto card spending surpassed $635 million in July 2026, with settlement activity spreading across multiple blockchain networks, according to data from Paymentscan. @base handled $184.4 million of that volume, placing it ahead of @Optimism at $106.2 million and @solana at $84.8 million for the month.
The momentum has carried into August, which has already logged $285.5 million in onchain card volume, suggesting the full-month total could comfortably exceed July's figure.
The growth in absolute terms is striking when set against recent history. According to a16z crypto, which highlighted Paymentscan data, broader tracked crypto card spending reached $759 million in July across all programs, up roughly 2.5 times from $306 million a year earlier, and up from less than $1 million when tracking began in October 2023.
The network mix behind crypto card settlement has changed considerably over the past two years. In early 2024, Gnosis dominated, carrying nearly all tracked card spend as the home of Gnosis Pay, one of the first Visa cards connected directly to a self-custodial wallet. By July 2026, Gnosis had fallen to roughly 2% of volume, per Paymentscan, as newer card programs launched and gravitated toward higher-throughput networks.
Dollar-backed stablecoins now drive the majority of card spending. Data highlighted by a16z and Paymentscan shows USDC and USDT accounting for approximately 84% of tracked spending, a sharp reversal from early 2024 when euro-backed stablecoins controlled most of the market.
The cards themselves largely run on Visa's network, with stablecoins typically converted into local currency at the point of sale. Merchants receive payment through familiar card infrastructure without directly handling digital assets. Visa and Stripe-owned Bridge have also announced plans to expand stablecoin card availability to more than 100 countries by end of year, pointing to further growth ahead.
Despite the rapid expansion, the segment remains small relative to traditional card networks, which process trillions of dollars monthly. But the trajectory over the past year leaves little doubt that onchain card payments are becoming an increasingly measurable part of everyday commerce.
Sources:a16z Crypto: 5 charts on crypto card stablecoin spendYahoo Finance: Crypto Card Spending Tops $750 Million, a16z ReportsCryptopolitan: Crypto card spending hits $759 million as USDC takes 58% of volume
