Cryptocurrency and e-commerce are two aspects of the digital economy that have become increasingly popular in the last years. With the mass shutdowns and pandemic problems of traditional commerce and banking, the push for digitalization became more evident than ever.
And with the advantages of cryptocurrency and a growing need for its alternatives, e-commerce companies are right to consider accepting cryptocurrency.
Here’s why.
The Advantages of Accepting Crypto
The cryptocurrency market is much larger than just Bitcoin, although Bitcoin certainly dominates a majority of the sector. Thousands of altcoin options make for a diverse and flourishing digital economy with an aggregate market capitalization of $878 billion. E-commerce businesses will undoubtedly want a piece of this wealth.
But the wealth and breadth of the crypto market is only one slight advantage in the host of benefits accepting cryptocurrencies can bring to any business. With everything from security improvements to cost-cutting potential possible through crypto, the advantages far outweigh the problems when adopting alternative currencies in an e-commerce marketplace.
The Security Benefits
One of the most alluring innovations of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain systems they operate is the added security these systems bring to financial information.
Cryptocurrency data is stored within a cryptographically protected database known as a blockchain. Blockchains link information through encrypted hash functions that require the deciphering of every node of data in the chain to make changes to any single piece of information. As a result, crypto data is tough to steal or tamper with.
This isn’t to say that cryptocurrencies are also perfectly safe. With e-commerce making up the most vulnerable individual sector of the digital economy, as it faces 82.5% of direct attacks (especially on Black Friday/Cyber Monday), no system can guarantee perfect protection.
However, cryptocurrencies can better shield vulnerable transaction data than the average credit or debit card. As a result, customers will feel better about committing to an online purchase rather than abandoning their cart due to safety concerns without risking their privacy.
Greater Privacy and Flexibility
Additionally, cryptocurrencies offer greater privacy and flexibility overall than their traditional counterparts. This is a benefit granted by the underlying blockchain system, which operates as a decentralized platform away from a single regulatory government or financial institution. The result is a currency that plays by the rules without excessive submission to specific nations or agendas.
This means that the average consumer has unprecedented levels of control and confidentiality when using a cryptocurrency. International business, a staple of e-commerce, can then operate without the regulatory concerns that plague many legitimate companies in national markets.
Cryptocurrencies are especially vital for industries like kratom that face a high-risk merchant status. Since regulatory questions make this legal market a source of disdain for many traditional financial institutions, consumers can use crypto to circumvent payment holdings and genuinely support their preferred vendors.
Additional Advantages
Security and flexibility are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the benefits crypto offer e-commerce. These decentralized and immutable payment methods mean cutting costs and broader audiences across the web and the global economy it fuels.
The following are only a sampling of these additional advantages:
- Cutting out the middleman. Crypto payments no longer need to be processed through a third-party service. This means faster, easier, and safer transactions without associated fees.
- It is democratizing financial accessibility. Millions of people in underprivileged regions have limited access to traditional banking and commerce. Cryptocurrency helps level the playing field. Anyone can begin to accrue and invest in decentralized wealth with only a smartphone. Businesses that accept crypto make e-commerce accessible to a much broader audience.
- Building tax incentive potential. Cryptocurrencies are not taxed as a currency but as property or asset. With the proper understanding of cryptocurrency and accounting services, businesses can potentially defer tax burdens and appreciate asset value at more excellent rates.
- Easing global transactions. The coronavirus pandemic caused significant problems navigating goods and services over various regulations and lockdown procedures. Crypto, by nature, circumvents international payment issues so that that aspect of e-commerce can remain smooth and secure despite global circumstances.
These advantages and more make crypto in e-commerce beneficial for businesses looking to reduce costs while broadening their audience. By cutting out the middleman, increasing accessibility, and creating tax benefits, you have the potential to thrive in e-commerce. However, reaping these benefits will require proper practice.
Keep a meticulous record of your crypto assets as a business, protect your crypto wallet holdings with simple safety tips, and follow protocols for securing your website and consumer data. These practices can help ensure successful crypto integration for all your e-commerce needs.
In turn, proper implementation of cryptocurrencies as a payment method will broaden the possibilities of your digital marketplace, opening up avenues for more significant revenues and customer bases. With the pandemic quickening the need for such breadth and flexibility, businesses that accept crypto payments now can be better prepared for the future of e-commerce.
A Future of Widespread Cryptocurrency Usage
Now more than ever, the call for alternative payment methods in the digital marketplace is being heard. As the new normal of at-home workers and global trade complications change the e-commerce landscape, crypto offers security and flexibility that will smooth our transactions while minimizing the risks of cybercrime.
Shortly, many innovations will make widespread cryptocurrency adoption all the more feasible. As governments resolve regulatory issues, significant players embrace crypto, and blockchain secures IoT devices, e-commerce companies that fail to adopt these systems will find themselves behind the times and at a distinct disadvantage.
Cryptocurrencies will, without a doubt, be an increasingly common standard of future digital commerce. Now that you understand all the advantages of accepting these payments for your online store, you can prepare your e-commerce business for tremendous success.
