Cryptocurrency payments are becoming more popular across various user groups for everyday purchases and high-value transactions, indicating that digital assets are maturing beyond their role as speculative instruments.

Gen Z users stand out in terms of daily transactions, with 36% spending crypto on gaming and 35% on daily purchases and travel bookings.

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

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

Proportion of people from different generations who prefer using crypto for purchases across various sectors. Source: Bitget Wallet onchain report

Millennials are more likely to use cryptocurrency for a wide range of purchases — from travel and subscriptions to digital goods — reflecting their comfort with digital assets.

Crypto’s increasing integration by merchants worldwide enables daily transactions with a better user experience, according to Jamie Elkaleh, chief marketing officer of Bitget Wallet.

“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,” he told Cointelegraph.

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Convenience, political instability and luxury: Regional drivers of crypto payments

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. 

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

Africa stands out for its use of crypto in educational payments, with 38% of users relying on digital assets for cross-border transactions in an underbanked environment. In Latin America, 38% use crypto to purchase digital products, while 35% use it for online shopping.

Middle Eastern users exhibit strong demand for luxury and lifestyle-related purchases, with 31% of respondents 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 (MoU) with Crypto.com to integrate Crypto.com Pay into its payment infrastructure.

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