[Digital Today reporter Yoonseo Lee] Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has launched a USDT-based QR payment function, Scan to Pay.

According to fintech outlet Finextra on May 8, the feature will be offered first in some markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America. It links to existing local payment networks to process payments immediately without changing merchant systems.

The service targets regions where QR payments are widely used but access to traditional financial infrastructure is uneven. Users can set a payment password and complete payment by scanning a merchant QR code. During the process, USDT is converted and settled in the background, allowing use similar to local payment flows without manual withdrawals, bank transfers or foreign exchange procedures.

Bitget viewed the feature as aligning with a trend in which crypto use expands beyond simple trading into real-world payments. Emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Latin America were cited as regions where digital asset use has risen quickly over the past year. Demand for stable and accessible financial tools was presented as a driver of that growth.

Mobile payment systems are spreading globally, but many adults still do not have access to sufficient banking services. Bitget explained that new crypto payment models are beginning to fill that gap in financial access.

Bitget Chief Executive Gracy Chen (그레이시 첸) said more than 2.2 billion people worldwide use QR code payments. "There is no reason crypto should not be part of that," she said. She added that "crypto naturally fits the way people live and spend."

Bitget stressed that for users in supported markets, stablecoins can become not just assets to hold but tools to spend. It also highlighted that for travellers and cross-border users, the service can provide a similar payment experience across regions without relying on local banking systems. For merchants, it said the structure allows them to receive the service without separate infrastructure changes and avoids exposure to cryptocurrency price volatility during settlement.

The launch also shows a trend in which stablecoins expand from trading pairs into payment infrastructure. Bitget is bundling trading, assets and financial services into one environment under its Universal Exchange (UEX) model, and presented Scan to Pay as a function that broadens crypto use within that framework from portfolio management to everyday payments.

Bitget sees the boundary narrowing further between holding digital assets and actually using them. A key point to watch will be whether stablecoins can be established as a payment method that operates on top of existing payment networks.