Over the last 20 years, more than at any time in modern history, the way Americans pay for things has changed. Cash became the means of payment, then credit cards; credit cards became digital wallets, and now, a new player is on the scene: cryptocurrency.

Yet, for all that's been said about Bitcoin and blockchain, the fact remains that most Americans can't even use crypto to buy coffee, groceries, or gas. According to Statista, whilst the number of cryptocurrency users worldwide could be as high as between 750 and 900 million in 2025.

According to Future Market Insights data, the crypto payment gateways market is expected to reach $1.68 billion in 2025 and grow to $6.03 billion by 2035, with a CAGR of 13.6%.

If there are already millions of people owning crypto, what's holding it back from being a part of everyday life? Let’s explore.

America’s Crypto Moment: From Regulation to Real Use

The United States has started to take it by the horns in crypto more than ever before. The Trump government has expressed an ambitious aim for the country to become the "crypto capital of the world" (Huang, 2025). 

This is not only about promoting bitcoin mining and digital speculation. It's about incorporating crypto into the heart of America's financial system.

At the center of this shift is the GENIUS Act, a policy framework to give crypto a place in traditional banking and payments. The Act enables the issuance of payment stablecoins by banks and qualified nonbanks and enables them to act as custodians for payment stablecoins. It also puts oversight of stablecoins under the purview of the federal banking regulators and requires standards for interoperability with existing financial systems.

In simple terms, what this means is that digital assets such as stablecoins might soon have the same ability as dollars, deposits, and securities in a connected network. The point is to have crypto work in harmony with the rest of the economy instead of standing on the sidelines.

As Huang (2025) explains, "By creating networks of stablecoins, deposits, and securities, interoperability would embed crypto deeper into the financial infrastructure." In other words, if successful, the GENIUS Act could be the first real bridge between crypto innovation and mainstream money.

Why Businesses Aren’t Accepting Crypto (Yet)

According to CoinLaw statistics, crypto credit cards offering crypto cashback are supported by 68% of top providers and 15% of countries are expected to launch Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) by 2025 end, integrating with existing crypto payment systems.

This reflecting rising consumer demand but still a small number of U.S. retailers accept crypto as payment. The first reason why merchants are still not accepting crypto payments is  price volatility, which makes many business owners nervous. When Bitcoin can lose ten percent of its value overnight, small retailers can't take the risk of holding it. Stablecoins address some of that problem, but they are still relatively new and not well known.

Another component is regulatory uncertainty. Many businesses are still uncertain about the payment and taxation of crypto and what compliance standards are required. Without having any strict rules, most are more likely to wait than experiment.

Finally, there's the gap in consumer behavior. While millions of Americans own crypto, the majority use it as a form of digital savings. They view it like gold or stock and not like cash in their wallet. Until spending crypto is as easy and secure as swiping a card, everyday use will be rare.

Final Words: America's Journey towards a Crypto-Enabled Future

It is not a matter of "if" digital money is coming, but "when."

Crypto started as an experiment in decentralized finance, but it is rapidly becoming the groundwork for the next phase of global commerce. In the United States, the three ingredients of regulation, technology, and market demand are coming together for the first time.

The GENIUS Act provides a roadmap on how to safely integrate crypto in daily use. Stablecoins provide stability required for everyday transactions. And partnerships such as MetaMask and Mastercard indicate that traditional finance is willing to meet crypto halfway.

Most importantly, crypto payments are moving away from the investment hype. They are becoming accessibility, speed, and inclusion tools.

For everyday Americans, this evolution may not take place overnight, but it is in the future. The future of money is being developed in real time, silently, securely, and step by step.

One day soon, paying with crypto will be as normal as touching your phone to your purchases at the store. The change will be cheesy at first, but the impact it may have can change the way we think about money altogether.

When that time comes, the United States, with the combination of innovation, regulation, and ambition, could well become the crypto capital of the world.