Finance

Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP Revolutionize Payments: How Businesses Are Cashing In

Businesses are increasingly accepting BTC, ETH, and XRP. From coffee shops to airlines, crypto payments are growing.

byAndres Castro

October 16, 2025, 10:39 AM

A person demonstrates a Bitcoin product in a retail store, with a cryptocurrency concept displayed on a screen in the background.

A retail store showcases Bitcoin products, highlighting the growing trend of cryptocurrency integration. By MDL.

Executive Summary

As of 2025, Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and XRP are widely embraced as accepted payment methods by a growing number of diverse businesses, from coffee shops to international airlines and luxury brands.

Third-party payment processors like PayPal and BitPay are crucial facilitators, enabling businesses to accept cryptocurrencies while instantly converting them to fiat to mitigate volatility risks.

Beyond consumer transactions, these digital assets are gaining traction in travel, luxury goods, financial services, remittances (especially XRP), and corporate treasury operations.

The Story So Far

The widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP by businesses in 2025 is driven by their recognized functionalities—such as BTC’s role as a store-of-value, ETH’s smart contract ecosystem, and XRP’s fast cross-border settlements—and significantly facilitated by third-party payment processors that mitigate volatility risks by instantly converting digital assets to fiat, alongside an evolving financial ecosystem offering user-friendly technologies and clearer regulatory frameworks.

Why This Matters

The increasing acceptance of Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP by a diverse range of businesses, from local coffee shops to international airlines and luxury brands, signifies a major step towards mainstream recognition and legitimization of cryptocurrencies as viable payment methods. This trend, facilitated by third-party processors that mitigate volatility and simplify integration, not only offers consumers greater payment flexibility but also hints at a broader transformation of traditional financial infrastructures and corporate treasury strategies.

Who Thinks What?

Businesses across various sectors, from local coffee shops to international airlines and luxury brands, are increasingly embracing Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP as accepted payment methods to boost sales, enhance brand strength, and leverage the unique functionalities of these digital assets.

Third-party payment processors and financial services are crucial facilitators of this widespread cryptocurrency adoption, enabling businesses to accept digital assets while mitigating volatility risks through instant conversion to fiat and simplifying integration.

As of 2025, a growing number of businesses, ranging from local coffee shops to international airlines and luxury brands, are embracing Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and XRP as accepted payment methods. This widespread adoption is facilitated by third-party payment processors and the increasing recognition of these digital assets for their liquidity, brand strength, and specific functionalities, such as BTC’s role as a store-of-value, ETH’s smart contract ecosystem, and XRP’s fast settlement capabilities for cross-border transactions.

Everyday Transactions: Coffee, Fast Food, and Retail

Paying for daily essentials with cryptocurrency has become increasingly common. Coffee giants like Starbucks allow customers to use services like Bitrefill gift cards to convert Ether or Bitcoin for purchases. Convenience stores such as Sheetz also accept BTC, ETH, and other digital coins directly at checkout.

Fast-food chains are also integrating crypto payments. Select McDonald’s outlets in regions with high crypto adoption accept Bitcoin via payment apps. Major chains like Subway and Burger King continue to process crypto payments, often through third-party gift card services. Steak ‘n Shake, for instance, rolled out nationwide Bitcoin payments in May 2025, reporting an 11% sales boost. Chipotle and Baskin-Robbins utilize BitPay integrations to accept ETH, BTC, or XRP for their offerings.

In the retail sector, AT&T allows customers to pay phone bills with ETH or BTC. Microsoft accepts BTC directly or through processors, while Newegg supports ETH, and Overstock welcomes XRP for purchases. AMC Theatres also accepts Bitcoin for various products and services. E-commerce platforms like Shopify have democratized digital currency use, enabling millions of small and medium-sized businesses to offer cryptocurrency checkout options. Large retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ikea accept cryptocurrency via Bitrefill and BitPay gift cards.

Scaling Up: Travel and Luxury

The travel and luxury industries are seeing significant crypto integration. Travel platforms like Travala.com enable bookings with BTC, ETH, and other digital assets. Emirates plans to allow flyers to purchase first-class seats with digital currencies, collaborating with Crypto.com for this initiative. AirBaltic has been accepting cryptocurrency since 2014, processing thousands of transactions.

High-end brands and luxury car dealerships are also entering the crypto payment space. Post Oak Motor Cars in the U.S. accepts Bitcoin for super-luxury car purchases through BitPay. Platforms like BitCars in Europe offer a crypto-only marketplace for premium and classic vehicles. Luxury fashion brands like Gucci and Ralph Lauren have expanded crypto payment options at select flagship stores for their exclusive collections. Alternative Airlines stands out by supporting over 600 airlines globally and allowing payments using more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including XRP.

Financial Services and Institutional Adoption

Beyond consumer transactions, Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP are gaining traction in payments infrastructure, institutional use, remittances, and treasury operations. XRP is particularly utilized for remittances and cross-border payments, leveraging its consensus-based ledger and Ripple’s infrastructure for lower costs and faster settlements. Businesses such as Mercury FX and Cuallix have adopted or trialed XRP for these purposes.

Payment processors like PayPal, BitPay, and NOWPayments are crucial in enabling businesses to accept cryptocurrency while mitigating volatility risks by instantly converting digital assets to fiat currency. PayPal, in particular, supports over 100 cryptocurrencies for retailers. Furthermore, some companies, including BitMine, SharpLink Gaming, and VivoPower, are incorporating crypto into their treasury portfolios for strategic purposes, such as inflation hedging or deeper market involvement.

Facilitating Small Business Acceptance

For small businesses looking to accept cryptocurrencies, user-friendly technologies and an evolving financial ecosystem are key. Payment processors like BitPay, Coinbase Commerce, and CoinGate simplify integration, instantly converting cryptocurrencies to fiat to eliminate price fluctuation risks. Automated tax reporting systems and clearer regulatory frameworks are helping to reduce the financial and legal burdens for small business owners. As these barriers are lowered, businesses can confidently embrace a broader range of digital assets.