Ian Mansfield, Crypto & Payments Business Development Leader at Bitpace, spoke with us at the recent SiGMA event about how crypto-to-fiat payment solutions are reshaping the iGaming industry. The discussion explored how digital currencies and blockchain-based payment systems are transforming transactions, compliance, and player experiences worldwide.
The iGaming industry was an early adopter of crypto payments. What’s driving that adoption, and what’s still holding some operators back?
Ian Mansfield: The main drivers are access and efficiency. Crypto lets operators reach new countries and emerging markets where cards and local banks don’t work well, while giving players faster deposits and withdrawals, higher approval rates, and better fees than traditional card processing or bank transfers, with no chargebacks.
On top of that, crypto and stablecoins enable 24/7/365 settlements, better cross-border FX handling, and instant, transparent on-chain transactions that are easier to track and reconcile at scale.
As iGaming expands globally, how are stablecoins and blockchain rails improving cross-border payments and settlements for operators?
Ian Mansfield: Stablecoins and blockchain rails basically give operators a single, global settlement layer instead of juggling lots of local banks and corridors. A player in LATAM can deposit in USDT, and the operator can settle in EUR, USD or GBP within minutes, 24/7, without going through multiple correspondent banks or card schemes. That means faster cross-border settlements, fewer intermediaries, and lower fees on each transaction.
For finance teams, holding value in stablecoins also simplifies FX and treasury you avoid constant crypto volatility, you see your balances in a stable unit of account, and you can move liquidity between jurisdictions much more efficiently than with traditional bank transfers.
What are the biggest misconceptions operators still have about crypto payments in gaming?
Ian Mansfield: The three big misconceptions are that crypto is only for a small high-risk niche, that it’s too volatile, and that it’s hard to control or reconcile.
When I speak with operators, I explain that today’s crypto players are often just mainstream users in new or challenging markets where cards don’t work well; that we use stablecoins and instant conversion from crypto into fiat currencies like EUR, GBP, USD, so the operator never carries price risk or loses money on crypto movements; and that modern gateways like Bitpace provide full reporting, unique payment addresses and automatic settlement, so finance and compliance teams can manage crypto flows with the same control they’re used to on cards and bank transfers.
How can payment providers help operators manage volatility, liquidity, and compliance when accepting crypto?
Ian Mansfield: We tackle both sides of the question – risk and regulation. On volatility, Bitpace lets operators price in fiat and convert incoming crypto instantly into EUR, GBP, USD or stablecoins, so they’re never sitting exposed to market swings or worrying about liquidity gaps. Funds hit their Bitpace balance in a stable currency they can use for payouts or settlement.
On AML and KYC, we plug into the operator’s existing KYC stack and add blockchain analytics, transaction monitoring and risk scoring on top of every crypto payment. That means flagged wallets, risky jurisdictions or abnormal patterns can be managed in real time, and compliance teams get clear audit trails and reporting, so crypto flows are governed with the same (or better) controls as cards and bank transfers.
From a player-experience standpoint, how does accepting crypto change deposits and withdrawals today?
Ian Mansfield: Accepting crypto really changes the speed and flexibility players feel. Deposits clear in minutes instead of hours or days, even cross-border, and they’re far less likely to be declined than a card or local bank transfer. On withdrawals, crypto lets operators offer near-instant payouts to a player’s wallet, which is a huge trust and loyalty driver compared to waiting days for a bank wire.
Players especially those already using wallets and stablecoins now expect fast, app-like payment experiences. They want to move value across currencies and borders with minimal friction, see a clear balance in their chosen unit (EUR, USDT, etc.), and cash out quickly when they win. Crypto rails allow us to deliver that kind of seamless, always-on experience.
How real is the industry’s push for instant deposits and withdrawals, and what’s still slowing operators down?
Ian Mansfield: The pressure for “instant everything” is very real now. Players compare their gaming wallet to the apps they use every day they expect deposits to be live in minutes and withdrawals to hit their wallet or bank almost immediately. That’s a big reason why e-wallets and crypto have grown so quickly: they remove a lot of the legacy banking delays and let operators offer fast, 24/7 movement of funds.
The barriers are mainly technical and regulatory. On the tech side, many operators still run on legacy platforms, fragmented wallets and manual payout flows, which makes true instant processing hard to scale. On the regulatory side, you still need to do KYC, AML, fraud and responsible-gaming checks, especially on larger payouts, and those can’t always be automated away. Crypto rails help massively with the infrastructure piece but you still have to build smart rules so instant where it’s low-risk, and controlled where regulation demands more checks.
With regulators tightening oversight on crypto payments, what should iGaming operators prioritize to stay compliant?
Ian Mansfield: What we’re seeing is crypto moving from the “grey zone” into mainstream, fully supervised payment infrastructure. That’s a good thing – but it means operators need to stop treating crypto as a side experiment and start treating it like any other regulated payment rail.
To stay ahead, I’d say three priorities:
- Align crypto with your existing AML/KYC framework – same policies, same risk appetite, same reporting standards as cards and bank transfers.
- Choose regulated, audit-ready partners – providers who can support travel-rule requirements, blockchain analytics, detailed reporting and clear data access for regulators.
- Build on flexible tech – API-first platforms that can adapt as rules evolve, so when new reporting fields or restrictions arrive, you adjust config, not your entire business model.
Operators who invest in that foundation now will be in the best position when crypto is no longer “special,” it’s just part of the standard compliance checklist.
At SiGMA this year, what key payment trends stood out, particularly around crypto solutions?
Ian Mansfield: At SiGMA this year, the big themes were instant payouts, expansion into new markets (especially LatAm, Africa and parts of Asia), and how to grow while staying on top of compliance and fraud. Everyone’s trying to remove friction from the player journey without upsetting regulators or banking partners.
Around crypto, the shift was clear: people weren’t asking “Should we try it?” anymore, but “How do we plug in stablecoins and crypto-to-fiat in a compliant, scalable way?” The feedback on Bitpace was very positive – operators liked the idea of better fees, higher approval rates and 24/7 settlements, while still settling in familiar currencies like EUR, GBP, USD and keeping their back office largely fiat-based.
Do you see crypto-to-fiat infrastructure making crypto a mainstream payment method in iGaming rather than a niche option?
Ian Mansfield: Because we can accept crypto and stablecoins at the front end and then instantly convert and settle into EUR, GBP, USD in the back office, it no longer feels experimental. It’s just a faster, cheaper, 24/7 way to move money.
That’s influencing business models today – opening new markets, improving payment margins, and giving operators global liquidity without turning their finance teams into crypto traders. For us at Bitpace, the job is to provide the plumbing that makes this mainstream adoption of crypto payments safe, compliant and scalable.
With a background in digital media and a keen eye for emerging technologies, Ronaldo bridges the gap between players and platforms through clear, insightful reporting to the iGaming industry.
