Real-World Examples of Companies Using Crypto Payments in 2025

I still remember the first time I paid for something with Bitcoin. It was 2017, a late-night hardware splurge that felt like wizardry—scan, confirm, done. Fast-forward through a couple of brutal drawdowns (yeah, I watched BTC crater in 2021) and a few euphoric rallies, and the story’s changed. In 2025, crypto payments aren’t a novelty; they’re a serious checkout option—especially stablecoins. And quietly, some big names have leaned in.

Why it Matters Now

Two shifts made 2024–2025 different. First, the April 2024 Bitcoin halving nudged a fresh cycle and renewed merchant curiosity. Second, stablecoins—USDC, PYUSD—finally gave businesses the rails they needed: instant settlement, low fees, less volatility. When fees drop from “ouch” to “ok,” CFOs start paying attention. PayPal rolling out “Pay with Crypto” to U.S. merchants with auto-conversion to PYUSD, plus a low, near-1% fee? That’s not just news—it’s a competitive wedge against card rails. (investor.pypl.com)

Anyway—let’s get practical. Who’s actually taking your coins right now?

Companies taking crypto (and how they’re doing it)

Luxury and lifestyle: Ferraris and fashion, seriously

• Ferrari expanded crypto payments from the U.S. to Europe in 2024, letting buyers pay in BTC, ETH, and USDC. Dealers don’t touch the volatility—BitPay converts to fiat instantly. I’ve talked to a few high-net-worth friends who did exactly that after the last run-up. Flex. (reuters.com)

• Gucci has accepted crypto in most of its U.S. boutiques since 2022 (including meme and stablecoins), a move that kicked off a broader luxury tilt into Web3. Nothing like settling a tab with your wallet in-store. (bitpay.com, voguebusiness.com)

• Watchmakers, too. TAG Heuer and Hublot process online orders via BitPay—clean checkout, coin selection, QR, done. It felt surreal the first time I test-ran a watch purchase with a burner wallet just to see the flow. (bitpay.com)

Entertainment and retail: from popcorn to PC parts

• AMC Theatres takes crypto online via BitPay. It’s not gonna shave a dollar off your popcorn, but it’s a hassle-free way to spend coins without card declines. (bitpay.com)

• Newegg’s been a crypto OG since 2014 and still supports a range of coins (BTC, ETH, DOGE, USDC, more) through BitPay—great for miners-turned-builders who never went back to fiat checkout. (kb.newegg.com)

• AT&T lets customers pay bills with BitPay in myAT&T. Not gonna lie, the first time I sent crypto for a phone bill felt oddly satisfying. (att.com)

Travel: book it on-chain

• airBaltic accepts crypto for tickets (again via BitPay). Price shown in EUR, but you settle in your coin of choice—straightforward and fast. (bitpay.com)

• Travala integrated 2.2M+ hotels into Trivago’s metasearch. Click a Travala listing and you can pay with 100+ cryptocurrencies. The UX finally feels “normal.” (theblock.co, coindesk.com)

The platforms making it easy

• Shopify flipped the switch on early-access USDC checkouts via Shopify Payments, running on Coinbase’s Base network. This is a watershed moment: no plugins required, payouts in fiat or USDC, and support for hundreds of wallets at checkout. If you run a store, that’s “toggle on and test” simple. (help.shopify.com)

• Stripe brought back crypto in 2024 with USDC on Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon. The dev ergonomics are familiar (Checkout, Elements), but settlement’s on-chain and instant. As a builder, I love the clean APIs. (techcrunch.com, theblock.co)

• PayPal’s “Pay with Crypto” lets U.S. merchants accept 100+ coins and automatically convert to PYUSD or fiat, with rates starting around 0.99% and near-instant access to funds. If you sell internationally, that fee delta versus cards adds up fast. (investor.pypl.com)

Quick Wins: How to Take Advantage (As a buyer or a business)

• If you’re hedging inflation with stablecoins, here’s what I’d do:

• Keep spending coins in stable denominations (USDC/PYUSD) to avoid short-term price swings at checkout.

• Use rails with instant conversion (BitPay, Coinbase Commerce, Shopify Payments with USDC) to keep your accounting clean.

• If you’re a merchant:

• Start with stablecoins. They’re the easiest internal sell. Stripe USDC or Shopify USDC is a smooth first step. (theblock.co, help.shopify.com)

• Offer both direct wallet pay and familiar flows. Coinbase Commerce’s Onchain Payment Protocol removes fat-fingered addresses and ensures the right network—saves support headaches. (coinbase.com)

• Settle to fiat by default. Flip on “hold in stablecoin” once finance blesses treasury and refunds.

• For travelers:

• Price compare on Trivago, then route to Travala for crypto checkout. Stack AVA/BTC rewards when it makes sense. (theblock.co)

Table: Bitcoin Halving and Merchant Adoption Snapshots

Halving event | Date | Post-halving backdrop | Merchant adoption vibes

—————————————-

Halving #1 | Nov 28, 2012 | Early BTC curiosity | First retailers experiment; payment processors emerge

Halving #2 | Jul 9, 2016 | ICO froth brewing | Tech-forward merchants dabble via plugins

Halving #3 | May 11, 2020 | Pandemic + stimulus | Crypto at checkout via PayPal/Venmo pilots; more BitPay/Coinbase Commerce integrations

Halving #4 | Apr 20, 2024 | Stablecoin rails mature | Stripe re-enters with USDC; Shopify opens USDC on Base; PayPal pushes 100+ coins for U.S. merchants

I’ve traded through every one of these cycles. The fourth halving feels different because rails are finally invisible. That’s the signal.

Best Practices and Gotchas

• Volatility: Pay in stablecoins unless you’re intentionally rebalancing. Nothing worse than watching BTC rip 10% after you just bought snacks with it.

• Refunds: Check the merchant’s crypto refund policy. Some refund in fiat, some in the original asset, some as store credit.

• Tax: Payments can be taxable events. Track cost basis. I automate this; your CPA will thank you.

• Security: Use reputable wallets, verify networks (Base vs Ethereum vs Solana), and test with small amounts before big-ticket items.

How Long Do Crypto Cycles Last?

Historically, 3–4 years around the Bitcoin halving cadence. The twist now is stablecoin commerce compressing adoption timelines—businesses don’t care about price if they settle instantly at par. The “cycle” for payments is becoming less about BTC price and more about UX, fees, and regulation.

My Take

Not gonna lie—what surprised me most this year wasn’t another meme coin pump. It was watching mainstream rails quietly normalize crypto at checkout. When I can pay an AT&T bill with BitPay, buy a GPU from Newegg in USDC, or see merchants toggle on USDC in Shopify without a dev marathon… that’s real adoption. The alpha for builders and businesses is no longer “should we accept crypto?” It’s “which rails, which networks, and how fast can we A/B test this?”

If you’re trading the cycle, cool—respect your risk. If you’re operating a business, test stablecoin checkouts on a small SKU set first, then scale. That’s why I lean on tools like vtrader.io to track on-chain flows, monitor merchant adoption, and time promos when on-chain volumes spike post-halving. It’s not glamorous, but it works.

Bottom line: the winners in 2025 won’t be the loudest; they’ll be the merchants who made fees drop, settlements faster, and user experience boringly good.

Sources:

• https://investor.pypl.com/news-and-events/news-details/2025/PayPal-Drives-Crypto-Payments-into-the-Mainstream-Reducing-Costs-and-Expanding-Global-Commerce/default.aspx

• https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2024-05-29-PayPal-USD-Stablecoin-Now-Available-on-Solana-Blockchain,-Providing-Faster,-Cheaper-Transactions-for-Consumers/

• https://www.reuters.com/technology/ferrari-extends-cryptocurrency-payment-system-europe-after-us-launch-2024-07-24/

• https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments/usdc-payments

• https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/25/after-6-year-hiatus-stripe-to-start-taking-crypto-payments-starting-with-usdc-stablecoin/

• https://www.theblock.co/post/320404/stripe-crypto-payments

• https://www.att.com/how-to/pay-your-bill

• https://kb.newegg.com/knowledge-base/using-crypto-on-newegg/

• https://www.bitpay.com/directory/amctheatres

• https://www.bitpay.com/directory/airbaltic

• https://www.bitpay.com/directory/microsoft

• https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/02/04/trivago-adds-travala-s-hotel-inventory-gaining-crypto-payment-options/