How Cryptocurrency Is Changing the Way We Spend Online

Cryptocurrency is moving into everyday online activity, including shopping, subscriptions, digital services, and entertainment. Stablecoins, crypto-linked cards, and new payment platforms are making digital assets easier to use at checkout.

The growing supply and transaction activity of stablecoins also shows how quickly these assets are expanding beyond trading and into payment infrastructure. Visa reported that stablecoin supply reached $274 billion by December 2025, up more than 50% during the year. That growth gives context to why stablecoins are becoming increasingly relevant to online payments: So, how is crypto changing the way people spend online?

Stablecoins are making crypto more practical for payments

Stablecoins are becoming one of the biggest drivers of crypto payment activity. These digital currencies are designed to maintain a relatively stable value, typically by being linked to an underlying asset, such as the US dollar. That makes them easier to use for transactions where predictable pricing matters.

Visa found that retail-sized stablecoin transaction volume for USDC, USDT, and PYUSD grew from $500 million in 2019 to $69.8 billion in 2025, a 140-fold increase in six years. This growth shows how stablecoins are expanding beyond trading and speculation, creating morepractical uses for cryptocurrency in everyday payments and other transactions.

There is an important detail behind the huge numbers. McKinsey estimates that raw stablecoin transaction volume can reach as much as $35 trillion annually, yet much of that activity involves trading, internal transfers, and automated blockchain transactions. Everyday consumer payments represent a much smaller slice.

Online checkout is getting a crypto upgrade

Paying with crypto is also becoming easier for shoppers. PayPal’s Pay with Crypto lets eligible US merchants accept cryptocurrency from global buyers while settling in local currency. PayPal says the system supports more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and PYUSD.

Crypto-linked cards are creating another bridge between digital assets and familiar payment networks. Visa reported that stablecoin-linked cards processed approximately $5.2 billion in volume during 2025, a 319% increase year over year. Visa’s total global payments volume was $14.2 trillion during the same period, so stablecoin-linked card spending still represented only about 0.04% of the company’s overall volume.

For online shoppers, the bigger shift is the growing number of ways to pay. Businesses can now explore crypto payment options alongside cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets, giving customers more choice at checkout.

Subscriptions and digital services are joining in

Recurring payments are another interesting test for cryptocurrency. Streaming platforms, software services, memberships, and other digital businesses depend on reliable billing, which has traditionally favored cards and bank accounts.

Stripe began supporting stablecoin payments for subscriptions in October 2025. The company noted that around 30% of businesses on its platform have recurring business models. Stripe also reported $9 trillion in adjusted stablecoin payment activity between October 2024 and October 2025, up 87% year over year.

There is a customer-acquisition angle, too. Stripe found that customers paying with stablecoins were twice as likely to be net new customers compared with customers using other payment methods. For online businesses, that can make crypto useful beyond payment processing, especially when reaching customers who already prefer digital assets.

Online entertainment is putting crypto to work

Online entertainment has plenty of reasons to experiment with alternative payment methods. Gaming, streaming, digital marketplaces, and online card games already operate in highly digital environments, where customers expect fast deposits, simple transactions, and convenient access to their funds.

Online card games provide applied examples: poker con criptomonedas is one way players can use digital assets for deposits and withdrawals, moving funds through a crypto wallet instead of relying solely on cards or bank transfers. The exact experience varies by platform, with some services supporting several cryptocurrencies and others focusing on Bitcoin or stablecoins.

The appeal is straightforward. Crypto gives online users another way to fund digital activities, while international users may find it useful when traditional payment options involve currency conversion, additional fees, or processing restrictions.

Cross-border payments are a major reason businesses care

International transactions are one of the strongest practical use cases for stablecoins. Traditional cross-border payments can involve several financial institutions, currency conversions, processing windows, and fees. Blockchain-based transfers can reduce some of those steps, giving businesses another way to move money internationally.

PayPal’s expansion of PYUSD onto Arbitrum in 2025 is one example of this infrastructure developing. The company positioned the integration for use cases including business-to-business transactions and cross-border payments.

Visa is also testing stablecoin settlement across multiple blockchains. In April 2026, the company expanded its pilot to five additional blockchains, bringing the total to nine supported blockchains. Visa reported a $7 billion annualized stablecoin settlement run rate at the time.

Regulation is catching up with the technology

Regulation is becoming another important part of crypto’s move into mainstream payments. In the United States, President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law on July 18, 2025. The legislation established a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, including requirements for 100% reserve backing with liquid assets and regular public disclosures about reserves.

The regulatory picture is still developing. The US Senate is considering the CLARITY Act, a broader cryptocurrency market structure bill, showing that lawmakers are continuing to define how digital assets fit into the financial system.

Crypto spending is growing, and the next stage is taking shape

The biggest change may be happening behind the scenes. Stablecoins are becoming useful for transfers and settlement, crypto-linked cards are connecting digital assets to established payment networks, and companies such as PayPal, Stripe, and Visa are building infrastructure around them.

For consumers, cryptocurrency is becoming another option in the online spending toolkit. For businesses, it creates new possibilities around international customers, subscriptions, digital commerce, and settlement. The infrastructure is already taking shape, and the next phase will depend on how quickly everyday users decide to put it to work.