Bitcoin just lapped Visa and Mastercard.
By Maxime Laurent · 2026-01-26 10:11
Bitcoin just lapped Visa and Mastercard.
In 2025, $BTC moved more value than the two biggest card networks combined — quietly, without permission.
I had to reread the numbers twice, café still warm in my hand ☕️ In 2025, the Bitcoin network processed around $25 trillion in transaction volume. Not hype, not theory — real value moved, settled, finalized.
Now look at the old giants. Visa handled about $16 trillion. Mastercard followed with $9.7 trillion. Respectable numbers… but still trailing behind an open network with no CEO, no HQ, no marketing department.
This is the part that really gets me. Bitcoin doesn’t beg merchants. It doesn’t offer cashback. It doesn’t sponsor the Olympics. It just works, block after block, settling value globally like a slow, unstoppable machine.
Of course, critics will say “but it’s not all payments.” True. Bitcoin is settlement, treasury movement, finality at scale. And that’s exactly the point. Visa and Mastercard are rails. Bitcoin is the base layer.
From my little corner of the south, it feels like watching history sneak past while everyone’s distracted. Bitcoin didn’t replace the system. It quietly outgrew parts of it. Tranquille.
And we’re still early enough that most people don’t even notice 🟠
#Bitcoin #BTC #Payments #Settlement #Visa #Mastercard #Macro #CryptoFriture
In 2025, $BTC moved more value than the two biggest card networks combined — quietly, without permission.
I had to reread the numbers twice, café still warm in my hand ☕️ In 2025, the Bitcoin network processed around $25 trillion in transaction volume. Not hype, not theory — real value moved, settled, finalized.
Now look at the old giants. Visa handled about $16 trillion. Mastercard followed with $9.7 trillion. Respectable numbers… but still trailing behind an open network with no CEO, no HQ, no marketing department.
This is the part that really gets me. Bitcoin doesn’t beg merchants. It doesn’t offer cashback. It doesn’t sponsor the Olympics. It just works, block after block, settling value globally like a slow, unstoppable machine.
Of course, critics will say “but it’s not all payments.” True. Bitcoin is settlement, treasury movement, finality at scale. And that’s exactly the point. Visa and Mastercard are rails. Bitcoin is the base layer.
From my little corner of the south, it feels like watching history sneak past while everyone’s distracted. Bitcoin didn’t replace the system. It quietly outgrew parts of it. Tranquille.
And we’re still early enough that most people don’t even notice 🟠
#Bitcoin #BTC #Payments #Settlement #Visa #Mastercard #Macro #CryptoFriture
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and not financial advice.