Mesh Cracks Apple Pay’s Walled Garden—Now Your Crypto Spends Like Cash

Apple’s fortress just got a crypto-shaped dent. Mesh’s API now lets developers plug Bitcoin and stablecoins directly into Apple Pay—no banks needed.

The bypass play: By tokenizing crypto balances as virtual debit cards, Mesh sidesteps Apple’s traditional payment rails. Suddenly, that BTC stack can buy groceries without converting to fiat first.

Why it stings: Tim Cook’s crew still bans NFT transactions and takes a 30% cut on App Store crypto purchases. This move exposes the hypocrisy—Wall Street would call it ‘regulatory arbitrage’ (but in fintech, we call it winning).

The catch: Merchants still see USD. The magic happens behind Mesh’s curtain, where algorithms swap crypto for fiat at checkout. It’s adoption—just with training wheels.

One step closer to the inevitable: the day Visa’s lawyers wake up realizing crypto cut their lunch. Again.

Mesh’s Crypto Payment Service

The feature will be available to both online and traditional merchants by the end of the second quarter of 2025. Azizi revealed during the convention that this new integration will make crypto payments as seamless as traditional fiat payments. Once implemented, it will pave the way for the widespread adoption of blockchain-based global commerce.

Mesh’s new feature addresses common concerns raised by merchants about accepting cryptocurrency, particularly the volatility of coins and the complexity of building crypto payment infrastructure. With this integration into Apple Pay, customers will be able to make payments using Apple Pay’s NFC capabilities, whether online or in physical stores.

Earlier this year, Mesh raised $82 million to facilitate the expansion of global stablecoin payments. Mesh is integrated into over 300 blockchain-based platforms such as exchanges and wallets, which allow seamless movement of cryptocurrency from different platforms to merchants.

Prior to this, Binance announced a partnership with Worldpay, enabling users to purchase crypto directly on its platform using Apple Pay and Google Pay. This integration aims to simplify crypto access, particularly for unbanked and mobile-first users.

Binance has also expanded its global reach, now supporting over 1,000 payment methods and 125 fiat currencies.

As crypto payments continue to evolve, integrations like these are making transactions simpler and more accessible for users worldwide. With companies like Mesh and Binance partnering with major payment providers, the barriers to entry are being lowered.

As a result, crypto is becoming a more practical option for everyday transactions, paving the way for broader global adoption and mainstream use in both online and physical retail spaces.

Mesh Brings Crypto Payments to Apple Pay