# digital payments

A sharp selloff and a two-year sentiment trough have sharpened focus on market plumbing, with ETF outflows and leveraged liquidations driving the tape. At the same time, regulators are escalating penalties while real-world payment adoption quietly advances, signaling a shift from retail-driven cycles to liquidity, policy, and utility.

Current debates highlight a widening gap between optimism for blockchain's potential and frustration with product execution. Despite prevailing skepticism, significant developments such as Bhutan's national identity platform and major retail crypto payment adoption signal expanding real-world use. These trends underscore the sector's complexity and its growing influence across both emerging and established markets.