The future of crypto payments won't include on-ramps or bridges, Fun CEO says

Fun CEO Alex Fine stated that standalone crypto on-ramps and blockchain bridges are expected to disappear as the crypto industry moves toward unified payment infrastructure embedded directly within applications. Fine emphasized that users do not care about the process of converting fiat currency to crypto or using external bridges, but rather about accessing and using the applications themselves. This evolution aims to make the underlying blockchain payment flows invisible, much like traditional Web2 payment systems where consumers rarely consider the payment infrastructure.

Fun, which provides backend payment infrastructure connecting traditional payment methods with blockchain networks, currently processes over $3 billion in monthly transaction volume. The company powers 100% of deposits and withdrawals on Polymarket and handles deposit flows into Aave’s largest vaults. Through developer-friendly APIs, Fun enables fintech and crypto platforms to integrate deposits, withdrawals, and settlements seamlessly into their products, abstracting away the complexity of handling multiple payment rails and blockchain assets.

Fine highlighted the fragmentation in today’s crypto payment ecosystem, where developers often have to combine various card processors, banking partners, blockchain networks, and bridges to create a user funding experience. He advocates for a unified approach prioritizing seamless user funding rather than independent, fragmented processes. He also pointed out that fraud and risk management systems should be tailored to users’ transaction histories to optimize funding efficiency while managing risks.

Additionally, Fine sees prediction markets and tokenized equities as promising growth areas within crypto that are still in early stages, estimating prediction markets currently represent roughly 10% of their potential market. Increased liquidity in these markets is expected to expand event contracts and enhance their value as hedging instruments. The article reflects Fun’s strategic position in building the behind-the-scenes payment infrastructure needed for these emerging crypto applications.