From Speculation to Spending: Crypto Payments Gain Traction

Cryptocurrency payments are gaining prominence among numerous user cohorts for daily transactions and even high-value payments, signaling that digital assets are evolving beyond speculative tools.

Generational Breakdown

Gen Z users stand out in terms of daily transactions, with 36% spending their digital assets on gaming-related expenses and 35% on daily purchases and travel bookings.

However, Gen X dominates high-value spending, with 40% of users in this age group preferring to use crypto for travel, digital products, and real estate, according to a Bitget Wallet survey of 4,599 crypto wallet users, shared with Cointelegraph.

Millennials are more likely to use crypto for diverse purchases, including travel, subscriptions, and digital goods, reflecting their familiarity with digital assets.

The findings show growing interest in crypto’s practical use. Gaming, daily purchases, and travel bookings are the top categories for spending.

Chart showing age group preferences for crypto spending categories — *Proportion of people from different generations who prefer using crypto for purchases across various sectors. Source: Bitget Wallet onchain report*

“QR codes for small merchants and card integrations for larger retailers help crypto payments seamlessly align with familiar consumer shopping habits, while allowing merchants to bypass the complexities of exchanges.”

— Jamie Elkaleh, Chief Marketing Officer, Bitget Wallet

Convenience, Political Unstability and Luxury: Regional Drivers

When broken down regionally, the report highlights how local infrastructures and behaviors shape crypto spending preferences.

Southeast Asia leads in gaming and gifting, with 41% of users reporting interest in using crypto for these categories. In East Asia, crypto’s role in daily purchases and digital goods is most prominent, reaching 41%—the highest rate globally.

Chart showing crypto use cases across different regions — *Percentage of crypto wallet use cases across different regions. Source: Bitget Wallet onchain report*

Africa stands out for using crypto in educational payments (38%) and facilitating cross-border transactions (38%) in an underbanked environment. Latin America follows with 38% using crypto for digital products and 35% for online shopping.

Middle Eastern users exhibit strong demand for luxury and lifestyle-related purchases, with 31% expressing interest in using crypto for high-end goods and 29% for cars.

The report comes a week after Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, signed a memorandum of understanding with Crypto.com to integrate Crypto.com Pay into its payment infrastructure.