Stripe Brings Back Crypto Payments With USDC Support

Stripe has officially re-entered the crypto space, announcing support for USDC payments on Ethereum and Solana. This move lets businesses accept stablecoin payments directly through Stripe’s checkout system, combining blockchain speed with the platform’s global reach.

The decision comes years after Stripe paused Bitcoin transactions, marking a cautious but confident return to digital currencies. By choosing USDC, a regulated dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Circle, Stripe aims to make crypto payments practical and low-risk for both merchants and customers.

In this article, we’ll see why Stripe made this move, how USDC fits its plan, and what it means for global Web3 commerce.

Key Takeaways

Facts & Original Research

The numbers behind Stripe’s decision show how much the crypto payment scene has matured since its last attempt.

Stripe’s History With Crypto

Stripe first entered the crypto world in 2014, allowing merchants to accept Bitcoin. At that time, blockchain payments were new and unpredictable. High transaction fees and long confirmation times soon made the service impractical for everyday use.

The price of Bitcoin dropped from a high of about $19K+ in December 2017 to about $3K+ at the end of 2018. That same year, in 2018, Stripe ended Bitcoin support, citing slow processing and user volatility as the main challenges. Since then, the company has focused on improving global payment rails, waiting for a more stable digital currency to emerge.

Now, with USDC, a dollar-backed stablecoin that maintains steady value, Stripe sees another opportunity. This return shows the company’s renewed interest in crypto adoption backed by regulatory clarity and reliable payment infrastructure.

Stripes’ Failed Effort To Re-enter The Crypto Space

The following year, Stripe took a giant step to re-enter the crypto market by co-founding the Libra project with Facebook. However, the fintech company stepped away from Libra later that year, and the project never got off the ground. 

Stripe launched a project to facilitate fiat-to-crypto payment systems in 2022. At that time, Stripe CEO Patrick Collison stated that,

Cryptocurrency is finding real utility…With transaction speeds increasing and costs coming down, we are seeing cryptocurrency finally making sense as a means of exchange.

In April 2024, Jeff Weinstein, a product lead at Stripe, revealed that the payment giant would reintroduce crypto payments using USDC across ETH, SOL, and Polygon networks.

Collison also made a similar announcement via an X post, stating that “Stripe will start supporting global stablecoin payments this summer.”

Stripe Relaunches Its Crypto Payment Support in USDC

On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, Strip fulfilled its April promise to reintroduce crypto payment support. However, the payment company will only support USDC at this time, as announced earlier.

According to the post, users can now

Accept USDC payments on ETH, SOl, and Polygon without the complexity of holding or converting cryptocurrency to fiat.

Stripe added that,

Transaction limits…are 10,000 USD per transaction and 100,000 USD per month,” and it will “charge 1.5% of the transaction amount (in USD).

With this development, Stripe is following its major rival, PayPal, in supporting crypto transactions. Last year, in May, PayPal launched PayPal USD (PYUSD), its USD-denominated stablecoin, on the Solana blockchain as a payment option.

Last month, PayPal also released a statement announcing that its US merchants will now be allowed to buy, hold, and sell digital assets directly from their business accounts.

Following this move, the payment giant aims to simplify cryptocurrency transactions by automatically converting USDC into fiat currency and settling them through a merchant’s Stripe account.

What’s New: Stripe’s USDC Integration

In its 2025 relaunch, Stripe introduced support for USDC payments on Ethereum and Solana, giving merchants a faster and more predictable way to accept crypto. Businesses can now process payments in USDC and instantly convert them to fiat through Stripe’s dashboard no need for manual swaps or third-party wallets.

This feature allows creators, freelancers, and Web3 startups to receive global payments without banking delays or exchange rate risks. A statement from Stripe’s product team said the company wants to “make crypto useful for real business,” focusing on stable transactions rather than speculation.

The move builds a bridge between blockchain speed and traditional finance, signalling Stripe’s deeper return to crypto, this time built around compliance and stability.

Why Stripe Chose USDC

Stripe’s choice of USDC reflects a shift toward stability and compliance in the crypto payment space. Issued by Circle, USDC is fully backed by U.S. dollar reserves and audited regularly, which gives both merchants and regulators more confidence in its value.

Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, USDC holds a steady 1:1 peg to the dollar, making it ideal for everyday business transactions. Stripe can now offer users faster settlements without worrying about price swings.

Circle’s CEO, Jeremy Allaire, called the partnership “a milestone for real-world stablecoin utility,” highlighting that Stripe’s scale could help push USDC into millions of daily transactions across e-commerce, gig work, and Web3 applications worldwide.

Benefits for Merchants and Users

Stripe’s USDC support gives businesses a practical way to accept crypto payments without volatility or complex conversions. Payments are settled almost instantly, letting merchants access funds faster than traditional banking systems.

Here’s a simple comparison:

Businesses in e-commerce, content creation, and freelance platforms can now receive international payments faster and cheaper. For customers, it means borderless payments that work across time zones, all through the same Stripe checkout they already trust.

Expert Views and Market Response

Industry analysts have welcomed Stripe’s return to crypto payments, calling it a major step for mainstream adoption. Circle’s team praised the move as “proof that stablecoins are ready for real business use.”

Fintech researcher Ryan Watkins noted that Stripe’s scale gives USDC an immediate global audience, saying the partnership “turns crypto payments from an experiment into a reliable option for merchants.”

On social platforms like X (Twitter), Web3 developers and startup founders reacted positively, highlighting how Stripe’s payment tools will make crypto integration easier for small businesses.

Even competitors like PayPal and Revolut, which also offer stablecoin transactions, recognised that Stripe’s re-entry could set new benchmarks for trust and usability in digital payment systems.

What It Means for the Crypto Industry

Stripe’s comeback marks one of the strongest signals yet that crypto payments are entering a practical phase. By using USDC, a stable and fully backed digital dollar, Stripe gives merchants a reliable gateway between traditional finance and blockchain transactions.

This decision could inspire other major payment networks to follow, especially as stablecoins gain traction in global trade. It also strengthens USDC’s position as a preferred choice for regulated, business-focused crypto use.

For the wider market, Stripe’s move shows that Web3 payments are shifting from hype to utility, helping crypto earn a lasting role in global commerce.

Final Thoughts

Stripe’s return to crypto payments marks a big shift in how stablecoins are used in real business. By adopting USDC, Stripe connects millions of global merchants with a faster, cheaper, and more predictable payment system.

This move blends traditional finance with blockchain efficiency, showing that stablecoins can work at scale when backed by strong infrastructure and trust.

For businesses and users, it’s another step toward everyday crypto adoption, not through hype, but through utility.

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