We surveyed people who aren’t yet using crypto to find out what’s holding them back and learned that while curiosity is high, understanding is low.
Many non-crypto holders said they would turn to crypto if they were able to use it to pay for goods and services. Good news: they actually can do that, and so much more (beyond just trading)!
Here’s a closer look at what 55 million everyday Americans are already doing with crypto – and what you can do, too.
Shop, Dine, and Travel
From big box stores to small businesses, retailers are using crypto to make their transactions go further, faster. Through PayPal, ecommerce sites, third party apps and QR codes, consumers can now make payments with crypto directly from their phones in-store and in-person at hundreds of clothing stores, hardware shops and beyond.
Restaurant chains and local mom-and-pop shops are also embracing crypto, allowing customers to pay their bills with digital assets. When it comes to entertainment, you can buy movie tickets and popcorn at the theater with crypto and top up gift card balances at gaming stores.
The music industry is also taking advantage of the technology, from letting festival-goers buy badges with crypto to venues offering lifetime passes and special perks powered by blockchain technology. Some event companies now issue secure, scannable tickets on the blockchain to combat counterfeiting and scalping. Ticketing through NFTs takes this further, connecting fans directly with the artist. Each resale automatically shares a portion of the revenue with the creator, while the experience remains familiar: just scan a QR code for entry. Beyond access, NFT tickets open a direct channel between artists and fans for private events, exclusive drops, or even surprise airdrops.
Travel websites let you pay for hotels and flights with a number of different digital
currencies, and some accept crypto for tickets at checkout. You can also book tickets for
planes, trains and automobiles with various online travel agencies using your crypto. For many travelers, the draw isn’t credit card points or cash back. It’s the flexibility, security, and control that comes with choosing exactly how they pay.
As merchants continue coming on-chain, spending crypto will become as effortless as swiping a credit card, checking out with PayPal, or tapping with Apple Pay.
Invest, Save, and Earn
Many people see crypto as an investment alternative and a way to diversify their assets, including more than half of current crypto holders in America. Some are saving up and aiming for long-term value or steady passive income, while others may turn to crypto in hopes of monetary gains.
But there are also ways to earn with crypto. Users can stake their coins and temporarily agree not to withdraw their funds to help support the functioning of a blockchain. The more coins that are staked, the harder it is for bad actors to cheat the system. By leaving your funds in place, you’re helping keep the network secure and running smoothly, and you can earn 3-8% a year in rewards for providing that safety net.
Other users earn by lending out their tokens which can pay interest similar to a high-yield savings account. And some contribute crypto to liquidity pools, which are shared pots of tokens used by traders to swap one asset for another. The traders then pay a small fee to the pool’s liquidity providers.
Buy Art, Sell Art, and Collect Royalties
For artists and creators, crypto offers a new way to benefit without relying on systems that can come with high fees and lengthy timeframes. Creators like Autumn are using blockchain to sell their artwork directly to clients and stay in control of their creation’s ownership. By turning her art into NFTs, she automatically earns royalties every time her piece is not just sold but resold, automatically.
For many, crypto provides a powerful way to protect creative work and continue to earn profits over time.
Gaming
Blockchain is adding a whole new dimension to gaming and transforming what it means to "own" a digital asset. Tina uses crypto to collect, trade, and resell in-game items, giving her more power over the virtual items she’s acquired. She can transfer assets from one game to another, and won’t lose everything if a server glitches. Some players cash out rare items and earn money.
One in five crypto holders participate in blockchain gaming, and nearly 30% more plan to explore it over the next couple of years, demonstrating how crypto offers a level of flexibility and freedom for gamers that wasn’t possible before.
Pay (and Get Paid)
Crypto isn’t just for buying goods, it’s for services, too. Hunter, a content creator who manages almost 100 video editors, pays his employees in crypto so they receive their payments in minutes, with low transaction costs and no need to worry about exchange rates because everyone transacts in the same digital currency.
About one-third of crypto holders use it for business transactions and even more believe that expanding crypto payment options like real-time payroll will be one of its largest benefits moving forward.
Send Money to Anyone, Anywhere
Sending money internationally can be slow and expensive: funds can take days to settle and platforms typically charge between 5% and 10% in fees. But many digital assets let users send money in minutes – and fees hover around a fraction of a percent.
For families, friends or vendors sending money overseas, crypto can be a more convenient option. In an emergency, it can be a more reliable way to get much-needed support across the globe 24/7 – you’re not restricted by traditional banking hours and can access your assets whenever you need to.
Nearly a third of crypto holders use it to send money to their family and friends, and unlike other methods of peer-to-peer payments, crypto transactions are transparent and can only get lost or stuck if the sender enters the incorrect wallet address (but then again the same can happen with Zelle).
Remember, crypto transactions are final and can’t be reversed, so always take your time and double check the details before you click send.
Support Causes and Give Back
Crypto makes it easier for donors to give to the nonprofits and causes they care about.
Max at Movember found that accepting crypto donations opened up the charity to entirely new donors. Crypto can make philanthropy easier by offering lower transaction fees and helping donors see exactly where their contributions go. Other non-profits now accept crypto donations as well.
Build
Crypto is powering a new wave of tools. Developers, startups and even ranchers are relying on the blockchain as a new way to solve old problems.
Mark and Rob are using the technology to track where their livestock are coming from and going to, along with health records to trace potential diseases in their cattle. This also helps buyers verify the authenticity of what they’re purchasing, and allows consumers to know exactly what they’re eating by the time it reaches their plates.
In real estate, investors like Brandon buying tokenized property – slices of shares of rental properties as opposed to purchasing a whole home – opening up property ownership to far more people.
Cheat Sheet: Where You Can Already Spend Crypto
Swipe-and-go (pay straight from your wallet)
AMC Theatres • BitPay Travel for flights and hotels • Chess.com memberships • Chipotle • CyberGhost & ExpressVPN subscriptions • Dallas Mavericks ticket office • Home Depot • JM Bullion precious metals • Newegg electronics • Whole Foods … plus a growing list of boutique jewelers, hosting services, and local merchants that plug into BitPay or similar processors.
Final Thoughts
Crypto is moving beyond speculative trading. Today you can spend it at checkout counters, earn yield by staking or lending, collect royalties on digital art, pay freelancers across borders, back your favorite causes, and even buy fractional shares of real estate.
Each of these uses draws on the same core advantage: an open network that settles value in minutes, works 24/7, and costs a fraction of traditional fees. If you’re curious but haven’t tried crypto yet, start small: set up a wallet, add a small amount of crypto to it, send some to a family member or friend, or explore a beginner-friendly NFT marketplace.
The more you try crypto in different ways, the clearer its benefits become—and the easier it is to see where this technology fits into your everyday life.