Fun CEO Alex Fine said the future of crypto payments will move away from separate on-ramps and blockchain bridges as applications adopt integrated payment systems that remove the complexity of blockchain transactions for users.
According to Fine, standalone infrastructure for converting fiat, transferring assets across chains, and moving funds between platforms will gradually become unnecessary. Instead, future crypto applications will embed payment functionality directly into their products, creating an experience similar to traditional online payments where users do not need to understand the underlying technology.
“The era of on-ramps is coming to an end, and external bridging platforms will also disappear,” Fine told CoinDesk. “People do not want to interact with a bridge—they want to use an application.”
Fun develops payment infrastructure that connects traditional finance systems with blockchain networks. The company does not operate as a consumer wallet or exchange; instead, it provides APIs that allow fintech companies and crypto platforms to integrate deposits, withdrawals, settlements, and checkout options directly into their applications. This helps simplify transactions involving fiat currencies, stablecoins, and multiple blockchains.
Creating the Infrastructure Behind Crypto Platforms
Fine’s comments come as prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi, along with tokenized equity platforms, continue attracting more users and trading activity.
While these applications are gaining mainstream attention, the payment systems that handle deposits, withdrawals, and settlements often remain invisible to users.
Fun is among the companies building this backend infrastructure. The firm says it supports 100% of deposits and withdrawals on Polymarket, manages deposit flows for Aave’s largest vaults, and processes more than $3 billion in monthly transaction volume.
The company has raised over $75 million to support its growth.
Moving Beyond Fragmented Crypto Payments
Fine argued that today’s crypto payment ecosystem is still too complicated, requiring developers to connect multiple card processors, banking partners, cryptocurrencies, blockchains, and bridges to create a complete funding experience.
He believes the industry should focus less on individual payment channels and more on creating unified funding systems that allow users to access applications quickly and seamlessly.
“In Web2, payments are highly interchangeable,” Fine said. “In Web3, every payment method behaves differently. Teams repeatedly rebuild similar infrastructure instead of creating a single optimized funding flow.”
Fine added that many existing crypto payment businesses could lose relevance because they focus on technical steps that users do not care about. Companies built around fiat-to-crypto conversions or cross-chain transfers are addressing behind-the-scenes processes rather than the final user experience.
“Users are not interested in converting fiat into crypto,” Fine said. “They want to perform an action within an application. The conversion is simply something happening in the background.”
He pointed to the rise of embedded payment features as evidence that dedicated on-ramp services and bridge interfaces are becoming less important. Instead of redirecting users to third-party platforms, applications are increasingly integrating payment tools directly, enabling one-click transactions and smoother user experiences.
Fine also said the future of payment systems will involve more adaptive fraud prevention. Rather than applying the same security checks to every transaction, platforms should adjust based on user history and behavior. Long-term users with established activity could experience fewer restrictions, while newer users may undergo stronger verification.
Prediction Markets and Tokenized Stocks Still Have Growth Potential
Beyond payment infrastructure, Fine highlighted prediction markets and tokenized equities as two promising areas within crypto that remain in the early stages of adoption.
He said prediction markets currently represent only a small portion of their potential, with future growth likely to come from greater liquidity, more specialized contracts, and expanded use as financial hedging tools.
Fine believes that as liquidity improves, these platforms could support millions of potential event markets, increasing their usefulness and long-term value.
