[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] An analysis says bitcoin (BTC) was designed as a digital currency, but how much it is actually used as a means of payment remains unclear.

On Feb. 23, blockchain media outlet Cointelegraph reported that a 2010 case in which 10,000 bitcoins were used to buy 2 pizzas showed bitcoin could be used in commerce, but it has not become established as an everyday payment method.

It is structurally difficult to measure the scale of bitcoin payments accurately, the report said. The biggest reason is fragmented data, which creates multiple constraints on collecting bitcoin payment data. Many transactions are made through payment processors or crypto cards, and bitcoin is immediately converted into local currency in the process. Consumers get the same experience as a regular card payment. In statistics, it becomes hard to distinguish from a direct bitcoin payment. On-chain data alone cannot fully capture the scale of real commercial use.

Bitcoin payments broadly fall into 3 methods: direct payments via the blockchain or the Lightning Network, payments made after conversion into fiat currency through intermediaries, and indirect payments using stablecoins. Recently, dollar-pegged stablecoins have accounted for a significant portion of crypto payment flows, and bitcoin’s share of payments is relatively limited, another assessment says.

Survey results show a similar trend. A 2025 National Cryptocurrency Association survey found 39 percent of crypto holders said they had used cryptocurrency to buy goods and services. But the survey did not distinguish bitcoin from other cryptocurrencies, meaning the actual share for bitcoin could be lower. In GM Global Crypto Insights’ 2024 survey, only 11 percent said they had made actual purchases.

El Salvador, which adopted bitcoin as legal tender, is also in focus. Despite the government’s early incentive policies, everyday retail payment use did not increase as much as expected. The analysis cites a combination of price volatility, the convenience of existing payment systems and the cashing out of incentives. Under an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the clause requiring bitcoin payments has been eased.

Payment processor data show bitcoin use is concentrated in specific areas. Online transactions account for a higher share than physical stores, and the average payment amount is relatively large. Use is particularly prominent in high-value and cross-border transactions such as travel, electronics, digital services and luxury consumer goods. This suggests bitcoin is more competitive in certain economic markets than in everyday small payments.

The Lightning Network is drawing attention as a small-payment infrastructure thanks to low fees and fast processing speeds. But its transactions are not all recorded on the main chain, making it difficult to precisely tally the overall scale. Some applications support Lightning-based payments without revealing whether users hold wallets, improving accessibility.

Experts say bitcoin has not yet become a mainstream payment method in the broader consumer market, but its practicality has been confirmed in specific areas such as cross-border remittances, transactions between small and medium-sized businesses, donations and fundraising. They also say improvements in infrastructure and clearer regulation need to come first for bitcoin to spread as an everyday payment method.