The friction between holding digital assets and making everyday purchases remains one of the most persistent hurdles in the decentralized finance space. For startup founders managing treasury in stablecoins or remote contractors receiving cross-border payments, the primary objective is rarely “innovation” for its own sake. Instead, the focus is on minimizing the spread, tax friction, and technical overhead of moving value into the real economy. While institutional adoption has gravitated toward Bitcoin ETFs, the consumer-facing market has fragmented into several distinct models.

Comparing the available options requires looking past slick user interfaces and focusing strictly on the underlying settlement rails. Each model carries…