Could crypto give startups an edge? (Sponsored)

Crypto can mean very different things to a startup. For one company, it could make international payments easier. For another, it might become part of a new financial product. And for plenty of businesses, it could simply be something they have no real need for.

Watching the Bitcoin price gives founders a sense of what is happening in the market, but it does not tell them whether crypto belongs in their own business.

Bitcoin crossed €74,222 ($85,000) on September 22 after ETF inflows hit €539.9 million ($617.6 million) in the previous session, according to Reuters reporting published by The Economic Times. That kind of movement is hard to ignore. It is also not necessarily the information a founder needs when deciding whether to adopt digital assets.

The better question is much more practical: where, if anywhere, could crypto make running a startup easier?

Why are startups exploring crypto?

Part of the interest comes down to how blockchain networks operate. They can run continuously, and digital assets can move between countries without following exactly the same route as a conventional bank payment.

For a young company working internationally, that can be interesting. A customer could be based in one country, contractors in another and suppliers somewhere else. Add different currencies and banking systems to the mix, and moving money can become even more complex.

Crypto is also becoming less separate from the financial system around it. Binance Research’s September 2026 Macro and Market Insights report found that equity holders’ share of crypto exposure rose from 64% to 72%. That suggests traditional market participants are playing a larger role in digital assets, too.

There’s no standard crypto package that makes sense for every startup. A fintech business could have a clear use case, while a small software company selling locally might struggle to find one.

International payments are one possibility. A business dealing with customers or suppliers overseas could use digital assets as an additional way to move money. There are other options. A company could accept crypto payments from customers, build a product around tokenised assets or use existing blockchain networks as the infrastructure behind a financial service.

Smart contracts could also automate certain transactions where the conditions are straightforward.

The obvious concern is volatility. A company holding digital assets has to account for changes in their value. Even when crypto is only being accepted as payment, someone still has to decide how it will be stored, converted and recorded. And then there are the rules.

A startup operating across several countries can’t necessarily assume that the same approach will work everywhere. Digital assets, payments and taxation can all bring different requirements depending on the market.

Security is another practical issue. Blockchain transactions can be hard to undo, so losing control of a wallet or exposing private keys is not something a business can afford to treat casually. But there is an even more basic question worth asking: why use crypto in the first place?

If a startup already has a payment system that works and its customers are happy with it, adding crypto could simply create another thing to manage. There is little point taking on extra cost and complexity for the sake of having a new technology on the website.

Which startups might have a reason to try it?

Fintech startups are the clearest fit. Businesses working with payments, financial products or digital assets can use blockchain infrastructure as part of what they already do.

Other startups have more specific opportunities. An international marketplace could accept crypto payments. A gaming company could use blockchain for digital ownership. A creator platform could build services around digital assets.

Stablecoins are another option for businesses that want to accept crypto payments without holding large amounts of more volatile assets.

The key is having a clear use case. Startups don’t need to adopt crypto across the business. They can test one application and see whether it delivers a practical benefit.

What should a founder work out first?

Before adding a digital-asset feature, it is worth getting back to the basics. Ask what the technology is supposed to improve. Find out whether customers actually want the feature. Check the rules in every market involved. Decide who will handle security and custody.

Think about what happens if an asset’s value moves sharply. And, perhaps most importantly, work out whether the new system can slot into the tools the business already relies on.

Those answers will vary from startup to startup. There is no reason for a company with no obvious crypto use case to force one into its operations.

Crypto does not have to be the whole story

The growing overlap between crypto and traditional finance gives startups more choices, but choice doesn’t mean obligation.

For some founders, digital assets could solve a genuine problem or open up a service that would otherwise be difficult to build. For others, conventional financial infrastructure will remain the simpler route.

That’s probably the healthiest way to look at crypto in the startup world. It is a tool to consider, not a strategy in itself. If it makes something work better, there is a reason to explore it. If it does not, there is no need to force it.