Crypto payments

Paying with crypto can be as simple as sending coins from one wallet to another, or it can involve a payment service that shows the customer a QR code, receives the coins and pays the merchant in local currency. Bitcoin payments often run over the Lightning Network for speed and low fees, while stablecoins on fast, cheap networks have become the most common way to pay because their value does not swing.

Use is concentrated in a few areas: online merchants serving global customers, business-to-business invoices across borders, freelancers paid by foreign clients and countries where local currencies are unstable. Card programmes linked to crypto balances also let people spend without the merchant ever touching crypto.

The obstacles are real. Volatile coins make pricing difficult, on-chain payments are hard to reverse, so refunds need a separate process, and fees depend on network congestion. In many countries each payment with a crypto that has gained value is a taxable disposal, and merchants must handle accounting, anti-money-laundering checks and conversion costs.