The Future of Payments: How Cryptocurrency is Reshaping Business Transactions

The payment processing giants made their move in 2025. PayPal launched "Pay with Crypto" for US merchants. Square rolled out Bitcoin payments to 4 million businesses. Visa expanded stablecoin settlement to a $3.5 billion annual run rate. Mastercard connected 3.5 billion cardholders to cryptocurrency purchases.

These aren't blockchain startups. These are the companies that process trillions in payments every year.

Why Businesses Are Switching

For years, merchants have accepted that processing fees will eat up 1.5% to 3.5% of every credit card sale, a cost that often spikes to 5% or more for international transactions. The major processors are now aggressively using crypto to undercut legacy rates.

The pricing wars have begun in earnest. PayPal locked its crypto rate at 0.99% through July 2026. Square went even further: they aren't charging a dime for Bitcoin transactions until December 2026. Even after that promo ends, the fee is just 1%. Most stablecoin payments also come in under that 1% mark. But the savings are only half the story. The real win is speed. Settlement is instant. That means you aren't stuck waiting days for the money to hit your account, and you dodge expensive currency conversion fees you get with traditional banks. 

Why Merchants Use Crypto

When asked why they are making the switch, merchants cite the bottom line as the primary driver:

• 52% prioritize reduced transaction costs
• 45% seek faster cross-border settlement
• 41% value global market access
• 38% prefer customers paying directly in crypto
• 37% value privacy

The Demographics of Adoption

Adoption isn't happening everywhere at once. America and Southeast Asia are the clear hot spots. The typical early adopter is a business owner between 30 and 45.

Online gaming companies and tech startups lead the way. Traditional stores are slower to adopt.

In developing countries, some businesses use crypto to avoid slow bank processes, high money transfer fees, or government restrictions on currency exchange. Where local money loses value quickly, merchants prefer stablecoins that hold value in US dollars.

Stablecoins Solve the Volatility Problem

Price volatility for crypto payments was the biggest issue. The value of Bitcoin or Ethereum can change within hours, and that creates uncertainty for businesses. $5,000 received in Bitcoin at 9 am could be worth $4,500 by 5 pm.

Stablecoins changed the equation by maintaining a 1:1 peg with the US dollar, ensuring that users get the speed of crypto settlement without the risk of overnight value loss. By 2028, the US Treasury and major financial institutions project the stablecoin market could reach $2 trillion.

The Major Players

PayPal accepts over 100 cryptocurrencies and opens access to its more than 430 million active accounts.

Square lets its more than 4 million global merchants accept Bitcoin. Businesses can keep the Bitcoin or convert it to dollars right away. The Lightning Network makes settlements fast and cheap. 

Visa is actively scaling its crypto footprint across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa through a partnership with Aquanow. The network also took a major step in July 2025 by adding full support for PayPal USD and the Global Dollar on multiple chains.

Coinbase integrated with Shopify, enabling USDC acceptance with 24/7 settlement on Base blockchain. Shopify serves over 875 million customers and powers nearly 30% of the US e-commerce platform market.

Mastercard's 3.5 billion cardholders gained access to crypto purchases through Swapper Finance, powered by Chainlink. Stripe supports USDC payments through Shopify, making it easier for e-commerce shops to accept stablecoins.

Barriers That Remain

While the GENIUS Act settled the legal questions for stablecoins, the challenge has shifted to compliance. Payment providers are now navigating the complex technical implementation of the Federal Reserve and redemption standards.

Accounting remains a major sticking point. You don't get the seamless invoicing features that come standard with legacy payments, so merchants are stuck reconciling multiple tokens manually. It creates a lot of busywork.

The learning curve is still steep, too. Figuring out wallets and gas fees is confusing for most business owners, which drags on adoption, even now that the laws are clearer.

The Bottom Line

The rails are built, and the scale is massive. We have Square reaching 4 million merchants, PayPal opening the door to over 430 million active accounts, and Visa handling $3.5 billion in stablecoin settlements annually.

The zero-fee offers are a great hook for businesses to try it out, but the pricing stays competitive even after the promotional rates kick in. For international companies, crypto offers real advantages. Settlement drops from days to seconds. Transaction costs decrease significantly.

Many express that adoption is a strategic differentiator in competitive markets, especially among tech-savvy consumer segments. The major processors have already decided that crypto is part of the payment infrastructure. The question is no longer if crypto will scale, but whether individual businesses adopt early enough to capture the verified cost savings and expanded market access.