Cross-Border Payments and Cryptocurrency Landscape: A Must-Read Investor Guide for 2025

From Bitcoin to Web3: The Evolution of Decentralized Payments

Since Satoshi Nakamoto launched Bitcoin in 2008, cryptocurrencies have evolved from a fringe concept into a core driver of global financial innovation. The maturity of blockchain technology has not only revolutionized transaction methods but also created unprecedented opportunities for cross-border payments. Compared to traditional financial systems with settlement cycles that often take days, blockchain transactions achieve near-instant settlement while significantly reducing intermediary costs.

The core advantages of this decentralized payment network lie in its transparency, security, and inclusivity. By eliminating intermediaries such as banks, users can conduct peer-to-peer transfers directly, fully control their funds, and enjoy tamper-proof transaction records. For users in developing countries, this means participation in the global financial system without a bank account; for businesses, it simplifies settlement processes and lowers costs.

Key Metrics Comparing Payment Cryptocurrencies

To evaluate which cryptocurrency is best suited for cross-border payments, we need to focus on several dimensions: transaction speed (measured in TPS), cost-effectiveness, market acceptance, and liquidity. Below are real-time data benchmarks for mainstream payment cryptocurrencies:

This comparison clearly demonstrates the respective strengths of different projects in addressing cross-border payment needs.

Comparing Traditional Payment Coins

Bitcoin: Digital Gold or Payment Tool?

Bitcoin, as the first blockchain project, has become a benchmark in the emerging financial sector. Its circulating market cap of $177 billion and global recognition make it the most credible asset among cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin’s decentralized nature grants users full control over their funds, with no institution able to freeze or censor transactions.

In terms of payment functionality, Bitcoin’s daily transaction volume of $870 million proves active market demand. Major platforms like Microsoft Xbox Store, Expedia, Overstock.com have integrated Bitcoin payments, reinforcing its dual role as a store of value and a medium of exchange.

Bitcoin’s supply cap of 21 million coins adds scarcity, boosting its long-term value and ensuring an advantage against inflation. For high-net-worth clients or institutional investors needing cross-border fund transfers, Bitcoin remains the most trusted choice.

Litecoin: An Underrated Fast Payment Solution

Litecoin is often misunderstood as Bitcoin’s “little brother,” but its actual performance in payments far exceeds this simple perception. Designed by former Google engineer Charlie Lee, Litecoin uses a different technical architecture from Bitcoin, enabling a 2.5-minute block confirmation time—four times faster than Bitcoin’s 10 minutes. This speed advantage is crucial for daily commercial transactions.

Currently priced at $77.29, with a 24-hour increase of +1.60%, and a market cap of $593 million, LTC’s supply cap of 84 million coins (four times that of Bitcoin) makes it more liquid and affordable. International merchants like Dell, Newegg, Expedia, Overstock, TigerDirect have already adopted LTC payments, demonstrating its practical value.

The 2023 Litecoin halving event reduced block rewards to 6.25 LTC, further enhancing scarcity. For users seeking a balance of transaction speed and cost, LTC is the most cost-effective cross-border payment option.

Bitcoin Cash: Breakthrough in Large-Block Scalability

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) originated from a fierce technical debate within the Bitcoin community in 2017. BCH team chose to increase block size to 32MB to achieve higher throughput and lower fees. This design decision allows BCH to reach 116 TPS, far surpassing traditional Bitcoin.

Latest data shows BCH at $605.23, with a 24-hour increase of +2.96%, and a market cap of $1.209 billion, demonstrating stable growth momentum. Merchants like Dish, Microsoft, CheapAir, ExpressVPN accept BCH payments, especially in e-commerce and gaming industries.

BCH’s unique advantage lies in its low cost and fast confirmation times, making it ideal for micro-payments and high-frequency trading. For scenarios requiring quick, cost-efficient cross-border payments, BCH offers a reliable solution.

Dogecoin: Community-Driven Payment Ecosystem

Dogecoin started as an internet meme but has gradually demonstrated its value in practical applications. Currently, DOGE’s market cap reaches $1.916 billion, with a daily trading volume of $28.62 million, indicating its emergence as a tangible payment tool rather than a speculative asset.

Companies like AMC Theatres, Tesla, AirBaltic, Microsoft, Twitch accept DOGE payments, validating its viability in retail. With a transaction speed of 33 TPS and very low transaction fees, DOGE is an economical choice for small cross-border remittances.

Dogecoin’s most notable feature is its strong community cohesion. This community not only drives DOGE’s adoption in payment scenarios but also actively participates in charity work, giving DOGE deeper social significance.

Leaders in Next-Generation Payment Infrastructure

Ripple (XRP)：Innovator in Cross-Border Banking Systems

Ripple plays a unique role in cross-border payments. Unlike projects focused on full decentralization, Ripple has built a trust network comprising banks, financial institutions, and payment service providers. Its Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA) abandons energy-intensive proof-of-work in favor of an efficient Byzantine Fault Tolerance consensus mechanism.

This design enables XRP network to reach an astonishing 1,500 TPS, fully meeting the large-scale transaction demands of global finance. Ripple has processed over $30 billion in cross-border transactions and established deep partnerships with major banks worldwide, including international remittance giants, commercial banks, and central banks.

For traditional financial institutions, Ripple offers a seamless transition: enjoying blockchain’s efficiency without overhauling existing regulatory frameworks. The US SEC’s rejection of classifying XRP as an unregistered security in 2023 further boosted market confidence in XRP as a payment currency.

Alchemy Pay：Bridging Traditional Finance and Web3

Alchemy Pay (ACH) addresses a long-standing challenge in crypto ecosystems: how merchants can integrate crypto payments seamlessly. ACH provides a comprehensive payment infrastructure allowing offline merchants to accept various digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and automatically convert them into local fiat currency.

Currently priced at $0.01, with a 24-hour increase of +2.26%, and a market cap of $39.25 million. Although relatively small, its ecosystem is rapidly expanding. ACH’s extensive payment network covers millions of merchants worldwide, and its multi-chain deployment capability makes it a key infrastructure connecting traditional retail and digital economy.

Hedera (HBAR)：Pioneer in Enterprise-Grade Distributed Ledger Technology

Hedera uses a completely different technical path from Bitcoin and Ethereum, employing the Hashgraph consensus algorithm, which has achieved breakthroughs in security, scalability, and energy efficiency. HBAR is currently priced at $0.11, with a 24-hour increase of +2.22%, and a market cap of $486 million.

Hedera’s innovation lies in its high throughput of 10,000 TPS, capable of supporting global-scale payment networks. It has established partnerships with numerous enterprises and organizations, demonstrating broad prospects in supply chain tracking, identity verification, and enterprise payments. Compared to cryptocurrencies aimed at individual users, HBAR focuses more on enterprise applications, making it an ideal tool for institutional cross-border payments.

Stablecoins: The Payment Tool to Reduce Volatility

Stablecoins’ Central Role in Cross-Border Payments

Stablecoins have become foundational infrastructure in DeFi and payments. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, their core value lies in price stability. By pegging to real assets like USD, EUR, or gold, stablecoins offer a payment medium that retains blockchain advantages while avoiding volatility risks.

They are especially suitable for cross-border commercial payments. Merchants don’t need to worry about exchange rate fluctuations during transaction confirmation, and employees and suppliers can settle in a unified unit, greatly simplifying international accounting processes.

Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC)’s Market Roles

Tether, the earliest stablecoin, has become the most important bridge currency in global crypto trading. Its peg to the US dollar ensures value stability during transactions. Many exchanges and wallet providers have integrated USDT, making it the most liquid stablecoin.

USD Coin (USDC), launched through a partnership between Circle and Coinbase, emphasizes regulatory compliance and full transparency. Each USDC token is backed 1:1 by USD reserves, with information periodically verified by independent auditors. USDC’s price remains consistently at $1.00, with increasing market acceptance.

DAI and PayPal USD: Combining Decentralization and Institutional Trust

Dai (DAI) uses an over-collateralized model, maintaining its peg to USD by holding multiple cryptocurrencies as collateral. This design ensures stability even under extreme market conditions without relying on a central issuer. DAI’s price remains stable at $1.00, exemplifying the potential of truly decentralized stablecoins.

PayPal USD (PYUSD) marks a milestone for traditional finance giants entering Web3. Launched in August 2023, PYUSD is widely used by global users. Fully backed by USD deposits, short-term US bonds, and cash equivalents, PYUSD’s price is fixed at $1.00. PayPal’s brand reputation and large user base make PYUSD the lowest barrier for consumers entering digital payments.

The Core Advantages of Stablecoin Payments

Using stablecoins for cross-border payments offers multiple benefits: first, price stability makes them suitable for business pricing and settlement; second, cross-chain payment capability allows users to complete international transfers in seconds, compared to days via traditional banks; third, transaction costs are usually over 99% lower than traditional international remittance fees; finally, full transparency and immutability provide businesses with indisputable proof of receipt.