For a long time, one of the most common jokes in the tech world was something like: “Sure, crypto exists… but where can you actually use it?” One of the first Bitcoin uses was buying a pizza just to prove its real-world utility. That’s changed a lot by 2025, especially when it comes to powering informal economy payments.
Crypto today may not yet be the everyday grocery store payment type, but it’s increasingly finding use in those parts of the economy where traditional money moves too slowly, costs too much, or simply isn’t available.
Freelancers and Creators Are Getting Paid Faster and Cheaper
One of the clearest areas where crypto is being used today is in payments between people working online. Freelancers, contractors, and content creators often don’t want to wait days for a bank transfer or deal with fees from legacy payment processors, especially when they’re working with international partners.
Instead, many are turning to stablecoins – cryptocurrencies like USDC, USDT, or PayPal’s PYUSD, designed to hold a stable value tied to a fiat currency like the U.S. dollar. These stablecoins let people pay each other directly from wallet to wallet without bank rails, and without the delays or hefty fees that come with cross-border transfers.
One recent example is that YouTube reportedly enabled U.S. creators to cash out their creative proceeds using PayPal’s stablecoin, removing a bunch of friction for both content makers and their clients.
For informal workers in all corners of the world, whether a graphic designer in Vietnam, a video editor in Nigeria, or a streamer in Brazil, this kind of crypto payment makes it easier to get paid in a way that’s more like getting cash in hand, but over the internet.
Buying Digital Goods Across Borders
Crypto isn’t just being used between people. Sometimes it’s being used to pay businesses, too, especially in the online world.
Some companies that cater to digital workers or global audiences are accepting crypto directly for services like:
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Domain registrations
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Web hosting
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VPN services
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Digital subscriptions
Users prefer crypto here because it often bypasses fees and let’s them transact instantly, without having to worry about whether their local bank supports international payments.
Another lesser-noticed but growing use case is where crypto actually competes with cash for tiny, everyday payments. And while traditional point-of-sale adoption still isn’t mainstream, crypto cards are blurring the line: in Europe in 2025, a report found that crypto-linked card users were completing 45 % of their transactions under €10, meaning these digital assets are increasingly used like everyday money for small payments online.
Gaming, Collectibles, and Community Payments
Blockchain technology has also found its way into the world of digital collectibles and games. In 2025, things like tokenized Pokémon-style cards and other “gacha” experiences are booming online. Collectors can spend real money, often crypto, on digital packs or game items, and trade them in specialized marketplaces.
This isn’t just about speculation: these tokenized items are being used in community marketplaces where people buy, sell, or trade digital goods much like you might trade cards on Discord or Reddit. There’s even on-chain data showing hundreds of millions of dollars in trading volume for tokenized card markets in 2025.
Games that reward players in crypto, known as play-to-earn or GameFi, are also part of this ecosystem. While they may not replace a full salary for most people yet, they do offer income, rewards, and value creation that flows directly between players’ wallets.
This trend shows how crypto can facilitate payments in hobbyist, community, and entertainment markets — areas often outside formal financial systems.
What This Means for the Future of Payments
Crypto isn’t “everywhere” the way cash or cards are yet. But, notably, in niches where trust, speed, low cost, or global reach matters, like the informal economy of creators, freelancers, gamers, collectors, and small digital businesses, it’s already working.
People are getting paid without middlemen. Gamers are earning and trading value directly. Digital goods are bought with assets that cross borders instantly. And tiny payments are happening without waiting days for a bank to clear them.
One challenge remains, though. It is converting crypto back into local fiat currency. Banks still sometimes restrict crypto firms, and exchanges aren’t available or easy to use everywhere, meaning people can end up with crypto they need to cash out but can’t easily spend. At the same time, many emerging fintech services bridge the gap between fiat and crypto, helping informal economies thrive.
