Bank transfers are slow. FX fees are high. And for global businesses, international payments are stuck in the past. Traditional rails like SWIFT can take up to 18 hours to process a single payment—often involving multiple intermediary banks, each adding fees and delays. That’s not just frustrating. It’s inefficient. And while global commerce has evolved, payment protocols haven’t kept up. A 2024 study found that nearly 40% of payment firms lost business due to outdated cross-border infrastructure. The pain points? Security risks, lack of payment tracking, and poor processing speeds. Now, a growing number of businesses are turning to a faster, cheaper, and more secure alternative: crypto payments.

When traditional bank transfers take days and cost more, crypto delivers speed and simplicity. Whether it’s for contractor payouts, freelance earnings, or vendor disbursements, paying with crypto removes borders from the payment process. It’s a near-instant way to send money across the globe—without jumping through compliance hoops or racking up exchange fees. Platforms like Striga offer seamless API tools for sending crypto, allowing businesses to plug into modern infrastructure without becoming crypto-native overnight.

There’s a myth that crypto payments are only for DeFi startups or trading platforms. But the use cases are rapidly expanding:

• Global freelancers receiving USD-pegged stablecoins
• Gaming platforms rewarding users instantly
• SMBs paying suppliers without slow wire transfers

For businesses operating in multiple currencies or regions, sending crypto provides a hedge against volatile FX fees and unreliable intermediaries. And thanks to APIs, the process is straightforward.

With Striga, users can:

• Instantly onramp EUR via SEPA into a wallet
• Transfer funds on-chain to any crypto address
• Choose to hold crypto or off-ramp to fiat instantly

It’s the infrastructure that modern businesses need—but without the banking complexity.

Here’s the catch: not enough merchants accept crypto. And not enough users are spending it. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. If consumers don’t pay with crypto, businesses won’t accept it. If businesses don’t accept it, consumers won’t use it. The result? Crypto gets stuck as an off-ramp—not a real means of payment.

That’s changing, slowly. In emerging markets, where currency instability is common, crypto payouts are increasingly used by:

• Creator economy platforms
• International gig workers
• Vendors dealing with cross-border FX issues

And with tools like crypto debit cards, users can now spend crypto like any other currency—no pre-funding or settlement delays.

Still, a major barrier to adoption remains: people don’t want to spend their crypto. Why? Because many see it as a store of value—not a medium of exchange. Bitcoin’s deflationary model makes it more attractive to hold than to use for everyday purchases. Economists compare this to Gresham’s Law: bad money (fiat) drives out good money (Bitcoin), because people want to spend the currency that’s losing value and save the one that’s appreciating. Until this mindset shifts—or until stablecoins become the norm—it’s unlikely that crypto will fully replace fiat. But that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. Crypto isn’t just for trading anymore. It’s a real, regulated alternative to international money movement—and it’s getting easier to integrate by the day. With MiCA regulation in Europe bringing legal clarity and platforms like Striga handling the complexity, now’s the time to explore how crypto can help your business scale faster, cheaper, and globally.