Bitcoin once again led the crypto payments landscape in 2025, accounting for 22.1% of all crypto payment activity, according to new research by Coingate. The findings highlight a shift in how businesses use digital assets, moving beyond point-of-sale transactions toward broader operational and treasury functions.

Rather than acting solely as a checkout option, crypto became embedded in day-to-day business flows. Merchants used digital assets to receive customer payments, settle balances, pay partners, and manage working capital. Bitcoin’s resurgence reflects this broader utility, supported by both the main Bitcoin network and the Lightning Network, which together formed the most widely used payment rails throughout the year.

Litecoin held its position as the third most-used cryptocurrency for payments, briefly climbing to second place during the summer months. Tron-based payments also gained momentum, with TRX’s overall payment share rising from 9.1% to 11.5%. Within the TRON ecosystem, TRX usage surged from 20.2% to 80.3% later in the year, ultimately representing 58.5% of all payments on the network. Ethereum followed a similar recovery path, growing its payment share from 8.9% to 10.6%.

Ethereum’s relevance was particularly strong in stablecoin transactions, while Layer 2 networks such as Polygon, Arbitrum, and Base saw increased adoption as businesses sought faster and cheaper settlement options.

Crypto payments remained distinctly global. The United States ranked first by payment volume, the Netherlands moved into the top three, and Nigeria continued to be one of the most active markets. By region, Europe accounted for the largest share of crypto payments, followed by North America, Asia, Africa, and South America.

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Merchant behavior after receiving payments also shifted. Crypto settlements rose from 27% to 37.5%, signaling a growing preference to hold crypto and stablecoins rather than immediately converting to fiat. At the same time, crypto payouts became a practical business tool, with companies using digital assets to pay vendors, affiliates, and contractors. USDC, bitcoin, and ethereum were the most common payout currencies.

Overall, crypto in 2025 increasingly functioned as a full financial stack, enabling businesses to receive funds, preserve value, and move money efficiently across borders.

• Why did Bitcoin regain the top spot in crypto payments in 2025?
  Bitcoin led with 22.1% of payment activity as businesses used it beyond checkout for settlements, payouts, and treasury management.
• How are companies using crypto payments differently today?
  Firms now use crypto to receive payments, settle balances, pay partners, and manage working capital globally.
• Which other networks gained traction in crypto payments?
  Litecoin, Ethereum, TRON, and Layer 2s like Polygon and Arbitrum saw rising adoption for faster, cheaper transactions.
• Which regions drove global crypto payment growth?
  Europe led overall volume, with strong activity from the U.S., Netherlands, Nigeria, and other emerging markets.

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