GR8_TECH: What makes crypto a dealmaker for operators

In an op-ed for SBC News, Vardan Hakobyan, Head of Sales at GR8_TECH, outlines the current use cases for cryptocurrencies in iGaming. Hakobyan explains that crypto is not always the main payment method for many players, but operators must get it right when implementing crypto for those digitally-native users. The strongest crypto conversations I have with operators start with some constraint: a market where local payment methods are slow to set up, a high-value player segment that expects faster fund movement, or a launch plan that cannot afford months of payment integration work. In those cases, crypto becomes a big part of the business case. Crypto gives operators more room to move, to launch faster, serve valuable player segments better, reduce dependency on a single payment route, and adapt the setup as the market develops. Speed that players can feel One of crypto’s clearest advantages is speed. Compared with traditional payment flows, where deposits or withdrawals can take hours or even days, crypto can move funds in seconds or minutes. For players, especially VIPs, that raises expectations across the entire payment journey. A fast deposit loses its impact if the balance takes time to update, the withdrawal process is slow, or the player has to go through unnecessary wallet or verification steps. Payment experience can be part of the reason a player chooses one operator over another. Crypto-native and high-value players already know what a good transaction experience looks like, and they notice when a platform makes moving funds harder than it needs to be. It also matters for retention because once players trust that deposits are fast and withdrawals are predictable, they have one less reason to move elsewhere. With GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY, we have demonstrated a crypto transaction in under 15 seconds, and we continue to push processing times lower where conditions allow. It becomes a differentiator when speed carries across the full payment journey. Fast deposits, predictable withdrawals, and integrated wallet and account flows create an experience that is more attractive to high-value and crypto-native players. That is where speed moves from a technical capability to something that can influence acquisition, retention, and the platform decision. Crypto has to match the audience A VIP moving large amounts in stablecoins is a very different customer from someone making the occasional BTC deposit, and different again from a player who simply wants the fastest way to fund an account. Those differences change the economics around acquisition, deposit value, retention, and support. So I wouldn’t judge the opportunity simply by how many crypto users a market has. I’d look at the quality of that demand. What are the typical transaction values? How often do those players come back? What does it cost to acquire them? Which assets and networks are they already using? And is there a strong enough high-value segment to justify investing more heavily in the crypto experience? GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY helps operators act on those differences without building a separate crypto setup around each audience. Fiat and crypto balances sit within the same player account, while crypto processing, wallets, payments, compliance, and reporting are integrated into a single platform. That gives operators more freedom to prioritize the assets, networks, and payment experience that fit each market or player segment, while keeping the wider operation in one ecosystem. When crypto should stay only a supporting option Crypto isn’t always the right thing to lead with. In some markets, demand is still limited. We’ve seen that crypto traffic can be more expensive to acquire, while the crypto user base may still account for less than 15% of the overall user base, even across large iGaming brands. In that situation, a crypto-first strategy only really makes sense where there is already proven demand. In other markets, acquisition costs are high, or regulation makes the setup less justifiable. Crypto can still be useful there, but more as an additional payment option than the main part of the proposition. I’d look at the numbers before pushing it further: are crypto players depositing enough, are they staying active, and does the experience actually solve a problem for them? If not, there’s no reason to build the whole strategy around it. What makes crypto worth it Besides fast processing, operators also need the right assets and networks, reliable withdrawals, solid compliance, and a smooth way to manage fiat and crypto in one place. Also, it has to be flexible enough to work across different markets because player habits can vary widely from one geo to another. If crypto helps an operator enter a market faster, better serve a valuable player segment, or give players an easier way to move funds, then it’s useful for the business. The investment starts to pay off through faster launches, higher payment conversion rates, and a better chance of winning and retaining high-value players.