In 2025, Bitcoin reaffirmed its dominance in the crypto payments sector, representing 22.1% of total crypto payment activity, as per reports. The findings underscore a significant evolution in the way businesses are leveraging digital assets, transitioning from mere point-of-sale transactions to encompassing more extensive operational and treasury functions. Instead of being just a checkout option, crypto has integrated itself into the daily operations of businesses. Merchants leveraged digital assets for customer payments, balance settlements, partner payments, and working capital management. Bitcoin’s resurgence highlights its broader utility, bolstered by the main Bitcoin network and the Lightning Network, which collectively established the most widely utilized payment rails over the year.
Litecoin maintained its status as the third most-utilized cryptocurrency for payments, momentarily ascending to the second spot during the summer season. Tron-based payments have seen a notable increase, as TRX’s overall payment share has climbed from 9.1% to 11.5%. In the TRON ecosystem, TRX usage experienced a remarkable increase, climbing from 20.2% to 80.3% as the year progressed, ultimately accounting for 58.5% of all payments on the network. Ethereum mirrored a comparable recovery trajectory, increasing its payment share from 8.9% to 10.6%. Ethereum maintained a significant presence in stablecoin transactions, with Layer 2 networks like Polygon, Arbitrum, and Base experiencing heightened adoption as companies pursued quicker and more cost-effective settlement solutions.
Crypto payments continued to showcase their global nature. The United States secured the top position in payment volume, while the Netherlands climbed into the top three, and Nigeria maintained its status as one of the most active markets. In terms of regional distribution, Europe took the lead with the largest share of crypto payments, trailed by North America, Asia, Africa, and South America. The behavior of merchants following the receipt of payments has also undergone a transformation. Crypto settlements increased from 27% to 37.5%, indicating a rising trend towards holding crypto and stablecoins instead of converting to fiat right away.
Simultaneously, crypto payouts emerged as a viable business strategy, with firms leveraging digital assets to compensate vendors, affiliates, and contractors. USDC, bitcoin, and ethereum emerged as the leading payout currencies. In 2025, the crypto landscape evolved to serve as a comprehensive financial stack, allowing businesses to accept payments, safeguard value, and facilitate seamless cross-border transactions.