I recently noticed that more and more people are interested in how to transfer money into crypto for international payments. And honestly, it makes sense when you look at the numbers.

I remember a story about a guy on Reddit who needed to send money home for repairs. He checked all options through fiat channels — Western Union charged $10-12 for every $200 sent, plus another 1-2% hidden fees for the exchange rate. Through MTOs and online banks, he waited two to three days, minus 3-5% of the amount. PayPal took 10% outright. In the end, he found a solution via Stellar XLM — minimal fees, instant, and even considering crypto entry and exit costs, it was cheaper than everything else.

That’s why it works. Traditional banks pass money through a whole chain of intermediaries, each taking their cut. SWIFT, intermediary banks, currency conversions — averaging 2-4% just in fees, plus days of waiting. Cryptocurrency solves this simply: the blockchain connects sender and receiver directly, without all those layers.

I recently saw an example with an ETH address. A guy verified his identity via an Ethereum address and received a payment in USD Coin for $0.008869, in two seconds. Try that through Western Union or a bank.

By the way, about the numbers. Stablecoins like USDT and USDC have already reached serious market capitalization — their market values are at $161 billion. This shows that people are indeed using crypto to preserve value during transfers. Bitcoin is now around $78.72k, Ethereum at $2.32k, XLM stays at $0.16 — there’s a choice for any scenario.

Speaking of speed, Solana processes transactions in about five seconds with an average fee of around $0.00025. That’s simply incomparable to traditional methods.

The process of transferring money into crypto is quite straightforward. You need a wallet, then buy crypto through an exchange, copy the recipient’s address, double-check it (critical, transactions are irreversible), enter the amount, and send. You can choose the fee rate depending on urgency. The recipient sees the money within minutes.

This especially helps in countries with problematic banking systems. In Venezuela, people bypass hyperinflation via BTC and USDT. El Salvador officially adopted Bitcoin as a payment method in 2021 to improve financial access for its population. During conflicts, when banks collapse, crypto becomes the only way to get aid.

Vitalik Buterin, by the way, donated in 2021 50 trillion Shiba Inu tokens (worth $1.2 billion at the time) to help India during COVID. Before that, he also sent about 600 thousand in ETH and MKR. This shows how quickly and borderlessly money can be moved through crypto.

For migrants in the UAE or Singapore sending money to India, the Philippines, or Nigeria, it’s a real salvation. Fiat channels take 2-5 days of delays and up to 10% in fees. Crypto solves this in minutes.

Of course, there are nuances. Cryptocurrency volatility can impact the payment’s value, so it’s better to use stablecoins like USDT or USDC. Network congestion sometimes slows transactions, but this can be fixed by choosing a higher fee. And most importantly — never make a mistake with the address, because you can’t get the money back.

Also consider tax issues in your country. In the US, crypto is considered property and may be subject to capital gains tax. In the UK, HMRC taxes it if profits exceed a certain threshold. In Japan, it’s considered miscellaneous income with progressive rates. But in Singapore and the UAE, the situation is more friendly. It’s always best to consult a local tax specialist.

In general, cryptocurrency truly revolutionizes the approach to international payments. Low fees, speed, accessibility for people without bank accounts — it’s not just convenience, it’s a solution to real problems faced by millions worldwide. And if you haven’t tried transferring money into crypto yet, maybe it’s time to learn, especially if you often send money abroad.