According to Cointelegraph, BitPay processed 608,000 cryptocurrency transactions in 2024, reflecting an increased willingness among holders to spend their digital assets during the bull market. The Decrypted 2024 report by BitPay highlighted that Litecoin (LTC) led the transaction volumes with 201,165 payments, while Bitcoin (BTC) followed with 130,250 transactions, and Ether (ETH) accounted for 56,356 payments.
The report emphasized that 2024 marked a shift towards utilizing cryptocurrencies for spending rather than just holding. There was a notable correlation between rising crypto prices and increased spending, with users cashing out their holdings to purchase luxury goods, jewelry, electronics, and precious metals. Transactions for these items saw growth ranging from 39% to 205% compared to the previous year. The United States emerged as the leading nation in BitPay payments, contributing to over 76% of the total transactions.
BitPay facilitates merchants in accepting crypto payments and receiving settlements in local currencies. Headquartered in the United States, the majority of BitPay's clientele is based in the country. Despite the growing acceptance of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as investment vehicles, their adoption as a mainstream payment method has been slower. Data from Deutsche Bank, as reported by American Banker, indicated that crypto retail transactions comprised only 3% of payments between 2021 and 2023.
Interestingly, the rise of stablecoins, which are digital versions of fiat currencies, is playing a significant role in enhancing crypto adoption as a payment method. CoinGate, another crypto payment processor, reported a 29.6% increase in crypto transactions in 2024, with stablecoins making up more than a third of the total transactions. The use of stablecoins has surged, particularly over the past two years. Despite concerns about centralized stablecoins potentially undermining the decentralized ethos of cryptocurrencies, they continue to gain user trust. Stablecoins currently hold a total market capitalization of $206 billion, with the largest ones issued by Tether and Circle accounting for nearly 89% of this total.
Kikyo
Alex
Brian