6 Unexpected Places You Can Spend Crypto

When most of us think of using cryptocurrency, our minds go to speculative trading. There is a good reason for this as speculative trading is arguably the most common way that crypto can be used. This means buying and selling cryptos on exchanges, on peer-to-peer platforms, and so on.

At the same time, there are many ways that you can spend cryptocurrency that the average investor might not have thought of. Crypto has developed many use cases and over the years, a lot more institutions have begun accepting it. Here are some of the unexpected ways you can spend crypto:

Casinos

Believe it or not, it is possible to spend cryptocurrency at a casino. Many of us might assume that we can only make casino transactions with fiat currency, but this is no longer the case. There is a variety of casinos that accept cryptocurrency alongside or even instead of fiat currency. Not only do these offer the chance to potentially multiply your crypto holdings, but there are a ton of added benefits. One of the most common ones is speed, as cryptocurrency transactions are often faster than those based on fiat currency. As Vlad Grindu writes, some of the fastest payout casinos are the ones that accept cryptocurrency. Other benefits include greater control over assets and more privacy.

Restaurants

These days, cryptocurrency can be used to buy food at a number of establishments. Several food merchants around the world have begun accepting cryptocurrency and this includes both the upscale and more accessible ones.

KFC and Burger King in several countries accept cryptocurrency, as do chains like Starbucks and Quiznos. As crypto becomes more popular, several local establishments are also starting to accept crypto. This is a bit less widespread than casinos, so you’ll have to do some research to find out which ones around you will take digital assets.

Airlines

Crypto lovers who want to travel can pay for their flights and other such transportation using digital assets. While many airlines do not directly accept cryptocurrency, several booking platforms do. Sites like Travala and Alternative Airlines allow customers to pay in a variety of ways, including credit cards, debit cards, and crypto. Usually, this can be done as simply as selecting cryptocurrency as your payment of choice when at checkout and then transferring tokens via your wallet. This offers yet another avenue to spend cryptocurrency and as more time passes, perhaps some Airlines will begin accepting crypto directly.

Hotels

Just like with flights, it is quite possible to pay for your hotels using cryptocurrency. A few individual hotels around the world have started accepting crypto for their rooms, and there are also booking sites that do the same. Sites like Travala, for example, allow customers to pay for room and board using cryptocurrency. This is as simple as selecting crypto at checkout and making the token transfers. It is also worth looking into whether certain independent hotels near you will take cryptocurrency, especially if you live in or are visiting a very tech-forward area.

Gift Card Sites

An easy way to spend cryptocurrency for a variety of retailers would be to go through a gift card site. Several sites like Bitrefill sell gift cards for some of the biggest brands in the world including Starbucks, the Apple Store, Nike, and so on. These can be paid for using all sorts of cryptocurrencies and so, allow you to shop with these retailers indirectly using crypto. There is an added benefit in that they can be given as gifts to others or used by yourself. Each year, the number of retailers listed on the sites only seems to get longer, so there is even more variety to choose from.

Utility Companies

One of the things we most consistently spend money on is our bills and utilities. But did you know that you can pay for your rent, electric bill, streaming subscriptions, and others using cryptocurrency? A number of platforms have sprung up such as RelayPlay that allow customers to pay for their recurring bills using crypto. This will require you to deposit your crypto onto the platform, after which it is converted to fiat currency and then used to pay bills when they are due. This is an especially good option for those who want to use crypto more consistently as we will almost always have bills to pay.

Conclusion

Making the most of your crypto experience will include spending it in a variety of ways. Rather than limiting yourself just to speculative trading, consider all the different places that you can spend crypto with. Some of these come with unique benefits you wouldn’t unlock with fiat currency and so, should be at the top of your list.