Volatility in Crypto Payments Never Truly Mattered – Here’s Why

Crypto prices swing wildly. One day Bitcoin is up 10%, the next it’s down 15%. No wonder many businesses feel terrified of accepting crypto payments. 

There’s a pervasive myth that if a business takes crypto, volatility will eat into their profits. But here’s the reality: that fear is largely misplaced. 

In fact, for businesses that accept cryptocurrency as payment (not investment), market volatility doesn’t have to matter at all. 

It’s a myth we’re about to debunk. After all, even crypto payment experts note that volatility is “among the most prominent fears” keeping merchants on the sidelines – a fear we can confidently lay to rest.

Crypto as Investment Asset vs. Crypto as Payment Method

When people think of cryptocurrency, they often picture it as an investment – buy low, hope it goes high. 

In that context, volatility is a big deal. A 20% price drop means a 20% loss on your balance. But accepting crypto for payments is a different story. 

Here’s the key distinction:

• Investment Asset: You hold crypto hoping it appreciates. Volatility directly affects your bottom line. It’s like stock in your treasury – value fluctuates daily.
  
• Payment Method: You use crypto as a vehicle to transfer value. Volatility can be neutralized because the crypto isn’t held for long. It’s more like a conduit from customer to business.

Short version: As an investment, crypto’s volatility matters a lot. As a payment method, it matters very little when handled correctly. Merchants don’t have to “invest” in crypto to accept it. They can accept coins at checkout and immediately convert to stable money. 

The mindset shift is crucial – think of crypto as a currency in transit, not a stock to hold. When treated this way, Bitcoin at $80k or $20k makes no difference to the business’s revenue from a sale.

How Payment Processors Eliminate Volatility Risk

So, how can a business accept Bitcoin or Ethereum without losing sleep over price swings? The answer: crypto payment processors. 

These services have one job – take the volatility off your shoulders. They make crypto payments as stable for merchants as any other currency. 

Here’s how it works in practice:

• Instant Conversion: The moment a customer pays in crypto, the payment processor converts it instantly into a fiat currency (like EUR or USD) or a stablecoin. There’s no lingering exposure to the market. For example, if a customer pays 0.01 BTC for a product priced at €250, the business immediately receives €250 (minus any small processing fee) – regardless of Bitcoin’s price later on.
  
• Locked-In Rates: Processors lock the crypto’s exchange rate at the time of purchase. The business and customer transact at a fixed price. If Bitcoin’s price moves a few minutes later, it’s the processor (or their liquidity partners) that handles that risk, not the merchant.
  
• Auto-Settlement Options: Services like ours allow merchants to choose how to settle each sale: into fiat (e.g., Euros), into stablecoins, or even into crypto if they do want to hold some. The default for risk-averse businesses is simple – convert 100% to fiat. It’s automated and instant.
  
• No Technical Hassle: All the volatility management happens behind the scenes. The business just sees a payout in their currency of choice. It’s as if the customer paid in euros – the experience is no different from a normal card payment on the merchant’s end.

In short, a crypto payment gateway acts like a shield against volatility. It ensures the business gets the exact value it charges, every time.

For the merchant, accepting crypto can be as stable as accepting cash – the processor handles the exchange risk. This completely debunks the idea that accepting crypto means gambling with your revenue. When using the right tools, the volatility never touches the business.

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Feels like it’s time to give crypto payments a fair shot? Start by creating an account with CoinGate. 

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The Data: Merchants Choose Stability (CoinGate 2024 Insights)

Don’t just take our word for it – the numbers back this up. Our 2024 crypto payments report reveals that the vast majority of merchants already eliminate volatility by settling in stable currencies. 

Consider these telling stats from 2024:

• 71.43% of merchants settle in EUR: An overwhelming majority of businesses choose to convert incoming crypto payments to euros immediately​. This shows most merchants want the stability of fiat – they’re not holding onto volatile crypto after the sale.
  
• 16.7% settle in stablecoins: Another significant chunk opt for stablecoins (like USDT) for settlement. These are crypto, but price-stable, so the result is the same – no value fluctuations. This share was just slightly lower than 2023’s 17.7%, but importantly, the total number of stablecoin settlements still grew by 4.2%. In other words, even more payments were settled in stablecoins than ever; overall payment volume is rising.
  
• 7.92% settle in BTC: A smaller portion of merchants chose to settle in Bitcoin itself​. This suggests a minority of businesses are comfortable holding crypto (perhaps viewing it as an asset worth keeping for potential upside). It’s an option – but clearly not the norm.
  
• Stablecoin adoption is rising: Back in 2021, virtually no one settled in stablecoins (only ~4.5% did). In 2022, that jumped to 14.1%, marking the start of a steady uptrend. Through 2023 and 2024, stablecoin settlement continued to grow. This trend shows merchants increasingly trust stablecoins as a reliable medium to avoid volatility.

• Regulations bring confidence: One big reason for the stablecoin trend is clearer crypto regulation. With new laws in Europe and elsewhere (e.g., the EU’s MiCA framework), stablecoins have become widely accepted and legitimized for businesses​. They no longer feel like uncharted territory. Greater regulatory clarity = more merchant confidence in using crypto in a safe, compliant way.

What do these numbers tell us? Businesses hate volatility – and they’re proactively avoiding it. Nearly 9 in 10 CoinGate merchants in 2024 converted their crypto payments to something stable (fiat or stablecoins) immediately​. 

The myth that “accepting crypto is too risky” doesn’t hold up when you see that merchants are already insulating themselves from that risk. The data proves that with the right payment processor, crypto payments can be as stable as you want them to be.

Real-World Examples: Businesses Thriving with Crypto (Volatility-Free)

It’s helpful to see how this works for actual companies. Many businesses large and small have embraced crypto payments – and they’re not getting burned by volatility, thanks to services like CoinGate handling conversions. Here are a couple of telling examples:

• NordVPN – Global reach, zero volatility worries: NordVPN, a leading cybersecurity and VPN service, accepts cryptocurrency from customers in 176 countries. They leverage CoinGate to process these payments. Crucially, NordVPN converts crypto to euros using the same system, so they get paid in fiat​. This ensures financial stability and shields them from crypto market swings. As the company noted, this flexibility lets NordVPN focus on their core business without any extra financial distractions from crypto volatility​. In short, crypto payments became a way to reach more customers (privacy-conscious users, in this case) without introducing risk. The result: a broader customer base, with income from crypto sales as steady as income from credit cards. Learn more about NordVPN success story.
  
• Hostinger – “Volatility risk is under control”: Hostinger, a well-known web hosting provider, started accepting crypto payments via CoinGate in 2024. Their team was initially attracted by the large crypto user base and the promise of new sales. But they had one condition – they didn’t want to expose their revenue to coin price fluctuations. CoinGate’s solution? Instant conversion to fiat. Hostinger’s Head of Payments highlighted that this was a key feature they “enjoy the most.” In his words:

“Not only do we have the option to offer different types of cryptocurrencies, but we are also able to control the volatility risk by converting crypto to fiat instantly.”

Because every Bitcoin payment is immediately turned into, say, euros on Hostinger’s end, the company can safely embrace crypto customers. They get the benefits of accepting crypto (global reach, new customers) without any of the volatility downside.

These examples mirror the experience of countless other businesses. From VPN services and web hosts to e-commerce stores and game marketplaces, those who accept crypto payments with a trusted processor aren’t gambling on crypto prices. 

Instead, they’re leveraging crypto as a payment option – one that can be made just as stable as traditional money. Real-world case studies consistently show increased sales, new customer segments, and smooth operations when crypto is integrated responsibly. The scary price swings we read about in the news simply don’t factor in for day-to-day transactions.

Rethink Crypto in Commerce – Stable, Accessible, Beneficial

It’s time to put the “volatility boogeyman” to rest. 

Yes, crypto markets fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. But as we’ve shown, volatility in crypto payments never truly mattered for businesses using the right tools. When you treat crypto as a payment method rather than a speculative asset, you can accept it with zero risk. Payment processors like CoinGate have perfected the art of instant crypto-to-fiat conversion.

What does this mean for businesses? It means crypto is not a crazy, unstable experiment anymore – it’s a practical, accessible form of payment. You can tap into a growing pool of crypto-spending customers worldwide, boost your sales, and enhance your brand’s modern image without changing how you manage finances at all. The funds you receive can still be in your local currency or in stablecoins you’re comfortable with. In other words, you get the upside of crypto (broader markets, faster cross-border transactions, lower fees) with the stability of fiat.

So, let’s rethink the role of crypto in commerce. It’s not some wild rollercoaster you’re forced to ride. With the right payment gateway as a harness, crypto payments are stable and beneficial. Don’t let the myth of volatility scare you away from innovation. Thousands of businesses are already proving that you can accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more safely and profitably. 

It’s your turn to join them – embrace crypto payments on your terms, leave the volatility worries behind, and watch your business unlock new opportunities in the process. After all, there might be a billion people using crypto in 2026.

In the end, the only thing volatile about crypto payments might be how quickly your customer base grows once you start accepting them! Take the first step and register with CoinGate.