Key Takeaways Bitcoin’s on-chain settlement volume over the last 90 days now matches Visa and Mastercard’s combined totals. True economic […] The post Bitcoin Settlement Volume Now Rivals Visa and Mastercard, Says Glassnode appeared first on Coindoo.Key Takeaways Bitcoin’s on-chain settlement volume over the last 90 days now matches Visa and Mastercard’s combined totals. True economic […] The post Bitcoin Settlement Volume Now Rivals Visa and Mastercard, Says Glassnode appeared first on Coindoo.

Bitcoin Settlement Volume Now Rivals Visa and Mastercard, Says Glassnode

2025/12/04 01:00
3 min read
Key Takeaways
  • Bitcoin’s on-chain settlement volume over the last 90 days now matches Visa and Mastercard’s combined totals.
  • True economic settlement is smaller but still growing as Bitcoin becomes a global value-transfer rail.
  • Stablecoins move over $225B daily, though most of that flow comes from automated trading bots.

Instead of competing with retail card payments, this emerging infrastructure excels in global transfers and high-value settlement — areas long dominated by banks and cross-border payment networks.

Over the last 90 days, Bitcoin settled $6.9 trillion, a figure essentially equal to the $6.88 trillion handled by Visa and Mastercard combined. Even as more activity shifts to ETFs and broker platforms, Bitcoin remains one of the largest on-chain settlement networks in the world.

Adjusted Bitcoin Volume Still Significant

Glassnode emphasizes that much of Bitcoin’s raw volume includes internal address rebalancing by exchanges and custodians. After excluding those transfers, “economic” settlement falls to roughly $870 billion per quarter, or $7.8B per day. That’s far below Visa’s $39.7B and Mastercard’s $26.2B daily averages — a reflection of the fact that Bitcoin is used for trading flows, remittances, and value storage rather than everyday purchases.

Consumer adoption remains limited: just 20,599 merchants accept Bitcoin worldwide, compared to Visa’s network of 175 million.

READ MORE:

Circle Teams With OpenMind for Machine Payments Using USDC

Stablecoins Dominate Digital Dollar Movement

While Bitcoin anchors the settlement layer, stablecoins power the transactional side of crypto’s alternative financial system. The top five stablecoins now move an average of $225B each day, driven largely by arbitrage activity and liquidity routing.

CEX.io research shows the majority of this volume — around 70% — comes from automated trading bots. Only 20% reflects organic human-driven transfers, with the remainder tied to internal exchange and smart contract activity. Analysts warn that policymakers must distinguish bot-driven churn from genuine payment adoption when evaluating systemic risk.

An Emerging Two-Layer Financial Future

Taken together, the data points to a dual-track financial landscape: traditional networks optimized for consumer spending, and a blockchain-based layer optimized for global value transfer. Glassnode notes that, even after adjustments, Bitcoin’s settlement footprint is large enough to matter worldwide and continues expanding as institutional flows grow.


The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

The post Bitcoin Settlement Volume Now Rivals Visa and Mastercard, Says Glassnode appeared first on Coindoo.

Market Opportunity
Nowchain Logo
Nowchain Price(NOW)
$0.0011185
$0.0011185$0.0011185
-48.98%
USD
Nowchain (NOW) Live Price Chart
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

White House meeting could unfreeze the crypto CLARITY Act this week, but crypto rewards likely to be the price

White House meeting could unfreeze the crypto CLARITY Act this week, but crypto rewards likely to be the price

White House stablecoin meeting could unfreeze the CLARITY Act, but your USDC rewards may be the price The newly confirmed Feb. 10 White House meeting on stablecoin
Share
CryptoSlate2026/02/09 18:48
Coral Protocol launches Coral V1, introducing on-chain Solana payments for devs

Coral Protocol launches Coral V1, introducing on-chain Solana payments for devs

Coral Protocol has launched Coral V1, a new remote agent system that simplifies multi-agent software deployment. Developers building on the project now have production-ready agents that can be rented, customized, and combined with local solutions.  According to a press statement shared with Cryptopolitan on Friday, the platform introduces new capabilities to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) […]
Share
Cryptopolitan2025/09/19 20:01
U.S. Senate panel to hold crypto tax policy hearing on October 1

U.S. Senate panel to hold crypto tax policy hearing on October 1

The Senate Banking Committee will hold a public hearing on October 1 to go after one of the most confusing messes in U.S. finance right now:- how crypto gets taxed. The committee confirmed the date in a notice first reported by Eleanor Terrett, and witnesses lined up include Jason Somensatto, Policy Director at Coin Center; Andrea S. Kramer, founding member of ASKramer Law; Lawrence Zlatkin, Vice President of Taxation at Coinbase; and Annette Nellen, Chair of the Digital Asset Taxation Working Group under the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. This hearing is meant to address a problem that’s pissed off crypto users for years, which is why every small crypto transaction, even a few dollars, triggers a tax headache. The Senate is being pushed to finally look at de minimis exemptions, which would let people use crypto for daily stuff (like grabbing a coffee) without reporting every damn thing to the IRS. Trump administration backs small crypto tax relief Cryptopolitan reported back in July that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said that the Trump administration still wants to push through the de minimis exemption in upcoming laws. “The president did signal his support for de minimis exemption for crypto and the administration continues to be in support of that,” Karoline said. She explained that right now, using crypto for basic purchases is too complicated because of tax rules, but a change could make everyday payments smoother. “We are definitely receptive to it to make crypto payments easier and more efficient for those who seek to use crypto as simple as buying a cup of coffee — of course, right now, that cannot happen, but with the de minimis exemption perhaps it could in the future.” Karoline also revealed that President Trump plans to host a signing ceremony for the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin-focused bill expected to pass soon. That bill is part of his administration’s broader goal to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the world.” The Senate has already tried and failed to deal with this issue before. In 2020, two Democratic lawmakers proposed the Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act, which aimed to ignore tax on crypto gains below $200. It didn’t even make it to a vote. A similar version in 2022 also died on the floor. Then came a broader bill in 2025 called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which covered everything from taxes to border control. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming, tried to get a crypto exemption added in for gains under $300, but that proposal got scrapped before the final bill passed. President Trump signed it into law on July 4 without the crypto language attached. Right now, the IRS says every single crypto transaction must be reported, even if there’s no gain or the amount is tiny. If you spend $5 of bitcoin, that’s a taxable event. The idea behind the de minimis exemption is to cut through that nonsense and give users room to breathe. But it hasn’t been easy. Lawmakers face real obstacles. First, the federal government depends on tax income. If it suddenly lets millions of small crypto transactions go untaxed, that means less money coming in. And there’s no sign yet of how they’ll offset that shortfall. Even with strong voices like Cynthia and Jason in the room, the Senate still hasn’t landed on a solution. October 1 might give them a chance to do something useful. Or it might be another meeting where everyone talks and nothing happens. Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.
Share
Coinstats2025/09/25 09:51