Customer payments, supplier settlement, and payroll are where crypto delivers immediate utility this year. Major processors now let you accept dollar-pegged stablecoins at checkout, card networks are settling with stablecoins behind the scenes, and payroll platforms support USDC payouts—so you can move money globally with lower friction while keeping your books in dollars.
Accepting payments: stablecoins at checkout
Stripe enables USDC payments for platforms and merchants (including millions of Shopify stores), with automatic conversion to fiat if you prefer. Shopify’s help docs clarify that USDC payments run on the Base network, minimizing fees and confirmation times for merchants and buyers. PayPal’s new “Pay with Crypto” flow supports 100+ wallets and auto-converts to stablecoin or fiat for the merchant. These vendor moves make crypto acceptance a toggle rather than a custom build.
Cutting cross-border costs and delays
Stablecoins let you pay overseas suppliers or accept international sales without card interchange or correspondent-bank delays. Visa now settles with multiple USD- and EUR-backed stablecoins across more blockchains, while its earlier USDC program added Solana for high-throughput settlement—evidence that mainstream rails are embracing fast, programmable money. For context, the World Bank still pegs average remittance costs near 6–7%, so even modest stablecoin flows can produce noticeable savings.
Paying global teams faster (contractors and contributors)
Remote and Deel now support stablecoin payouts (starting with USDC) to contractors in dozens of countries, often settling in minutes instead of days and with clearer fees—ideal for agencies and open-source teams. If your workforce wants traditional paychecks, Deel also supports crypto withdrawals post-payroll via Coinbase.
Strengthening treasury: tokenized T-bill yield (for qualified investors)
If you hold meaningful cash balances, tokenized money-market funds and T-bill wrappers offer on-chain access to U.S. dollar yields with blockchain-native settlement. BlackRock’s BUIDL—its tokenized dollar liquidity fund on Ethereum—shows how large asset managers are making yield accessible on public chains; sector trackers show tokenized Treasuries reaching multi-billion totals in 2025. Work with counsel and ensure eligibility before reallocating treasury.
Building loyalty and CAC efficiency with wallet-aware commerce
Shopify supports “tokengating”—exclusive access or discounts for customers who hold your token/NFT in their wallet. This lets you reward superfans without complex identity programs and can reduce botting on limited drops. Treat it like any CRM segment: set rules, test conversion, and connect wallet status to perks.
Behind the scenes: cards and stablecoins are converging
Visa began stablecoin settlement programs in 2023 and expanded them in 2025; Mastercard is also enabling stablecoin spending with purchase protections across a large merchant base. The upshot for founders is that crypto is increasingly plugged into familiar commerce flows, so you can adopt it incrementally without retraining customers.
A 10-step crypto action plan for entrepreneurs
- Add USDC checkout via your current processor and turn on auto-conversion to fiat.
- Publish a refunds-only (not chargebacks) policy for on-chain payments; train support.
- Offer stablecoin payouts to international contractors for speed and fee transparency.
- Negotiate supplier terms in stablecoins for faster cross-border settlement.
- If eligible, evaluate tokenized T-bill funds for reserve cash; document risk and ops.
- Add tokengated perks for your top customers to lift retention and drop-day fairness.
- Maintain a dedicated compliance page covering taxes, refunds, and wallet safety tips with FTC links.
- Track KPIs: checkout success, settlement time, FX savings, chargeback rate deltas, and CS tickets.
- Keep a “bridge plan” so customers can pay with cards and wallets side-by-side.
- Revisit provider roadmaps quarterly (Stripe/Shopify, PayPal, Visa/Mastercard) for new geographies and features.
