For much of its history, cryptocurrency has been locked away like gold in a vault, with holders watching market charts rise and fall while their assets remained unused. But with the introduction of new payments technology, that is beginning to change. Now, digital assets are moving from investment portfolios into real-world commerce, and merchants are preparing to meet the demand.

Ownership levels help explain the shift. Surveys show that nearly 28% of American adults, about 65 million people, now own cryptocurrency. Among younger generations, the numbers are even higher, with roughly half of Millennials and Gen Z reporting past or present ownership. Why is that important? Because four out of five crypto holders say they want to spend these assets in daily life. For retailers, this represents an emerging customer base that is both large and eager.

Until recently, the barriers were high. Volatility made it risky for merchants to accept digital assets directly, and the technical complexity of wallets and compliance discouraged adoption. Payment gateways are beginning to remove those hurdles. 

A platform like PDX Beam, the crypto-to-cash payments gateway, allows consumers to pay in Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana, while merchants receive dollars in their accounts within seconds. The conversion is instant, with instant settlement in the merchant account. The volatility risk is eliminated, and the settlement costs are lower than traditional credit card fees.

“By providing merchants with a completely new approach to crypto-to-fiat payments, we have sidestepped the antiquated MC/Visa card system that requires merchants to pay as high as 7% in interchange fees and wait anywhere from two to eight days for deposit in the merchant account. That is outrageous,” said Shane Rodgers, CEO, PDX Beam.

The new payments gateway is resulting in a new flow of money into the retail economy. In New York, Leon Diamond in the Diamond District has begun processing sales through the crypto payment platform. PDX Beam gives customers the option to pay for high-value items with digital assets. In Florida, a major fast food chain is piloting the option at ten locations with the potential to expand to thousands more nationwide. A financial institution with $7.5 billion in assets is preparing to process more than $60 million annually through crypto gateways. Private equity firms are extending acceptance across their retail portfolios, introducing it to hotels, smokeshops, and even tattoo studios.

Consumer behavior reinforces this momentum. Studies show that shoppers who use cryptocurrency spend twice as much as those who rely on credit cards. Because many view their crypto as a fast-growing digital asset, rather than a slowly growing cash savings account, crypto holders are generally more willing to spend. This dynamic is one reason businesses ranging from luxury goods to quick service restaurants are eager to open the door to crypto customers.

Generational trends provide further support. Millennials and Gen Z are leading the adoption curve, with many treating crypto as a standard component of their financial lives. A significant share see it as income or as a hedge against inflation, a mindset that aligns with their expectation that digital wealth should be usable in the same way as cash. Merchants that can accept crypto payments are well-positioned to capture this group’s spending power as it grows.

Payment gateways have been designed to alleviate some of the challenges found in the broader ecosystem. For example, concerns about security and accessibility persist, and a portion of holders have reported difficulty withdrawing funds from custodial platforms. PDX Beam, for one, allows consumers to spend directly while shielding merchants from these risks. The technology turns crypto into a practical, everyday medium of exchange rather than a speculative or inaccessible store of value.

The broader impact is clear. Digital assets are moving from static investments into liquid capital that fuels transactions. A two-million-dollar diamond and an eight-dollar meal can share the same payment infrastructure. The ability to convert crypto instantly into spendable currency is no longer theoretical. It is shaping how consumers and businesses interact today.