Cryptocurrency/stablecoin payments - statistics & facts
Digital assets like cryptocurrency and stablecoin are increasingly popular as an investment vehicle, although it was unclear what other use case they may have. Estimates are that the number of users of cryptocurrency could reach between 750 and 900 million users in 2025, even if most of the users are investors. With the arrival of regulation, are digital assets becoming a valid option as a digital payment method?
Companies do experiment with crypto payments in 2025. PayPal, for example, issues its own PYUSD stablecoin, settling transactions on Xoom. Airliner Emirates hopes to accept crypto as a payment by Q4 2025. However, 2025 is likely too early to tell how impactful digital assets could be for payments.
The GENIUS Act and what it does
One of the largest crypto markets in terms of users, the United States' GENIUS Act aims to provide clear rules around who is allowed to issue stablecoin and how. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies, but, unlike Bitcoin, are pegged to the price development of real-world assets. The Act lists three things. First, stablecoin issuers must comply with the Bank Secrecy Act. Second, a stablecoin issuer can only be an "insured deposititory institution" - a bank, credit union, or dedicated financial service segment of a company. Third, issuers must hold a 1:1 reserve of a "high-quality asset" for any stablecoin issued. Tether's collateral backing, one of the largest issuers of stablecoins, mainly consists of U.S. Treasury bills. This potential dependency on U.S. assets or even the U.S. dollar led to criticism outside the U.S.Why would consumers want cryptocurrency or stablecoin?
Consumers increasingly look at the overall payments experience, voicing a desire for better security, faster transaction speed, and ease of use. This trend is not uncommon, as it also impacts digital wallets. Unique to cryptocurrency was that several its users were聽firm believers in blockchain technology. Some even stated they used cryptocurrency as a payment simply because they did not trust the government. That said, estimates are that the聽market size of cryptocurrency in global e-commerce transactions was less than one percent in 2025.Which industries accept cryptocurrency and/or stablecoin payments?
Survey information states that retailers of specific product categories are more likely to accept digital assets for payments than banks. Exact transactions flows are unknown. A payment through the blockchain is visible, showing a coded address of both receiver and sender, but who owns said address and where they are from are not. Consequently, central banks only suspect that remittances are a popular use case for cryptocurrency payments. Estimates on Tether transactions between countries mention the importance of the United States, although these figures are based on website traffic towards cryptocurrency exchanges.Companies do experiment with crypto payments in 2025. PayPal, for example, issues its own PYUSD stablecoin, settling transactions on Xoom. Airliner Emirates hopes to accept crypto as a payment by Q4 2025. However, 2025 is likely too early to tell how impactful digital assets could be for payments.
