Could crypto give startups an edge? (Sponsored)

Crypto can mean very different things to a startup. For one company, it could make international payments easier. For another, it might become part of a new financial product. And for plenty of businesses, it could simply be something they have no real need for.

Watching the Bitcoin price gives founders a sense of what is happening in the market, but it does not tell them whether crypto belongs in their own business.

Bitcoin crossed €74,222 ($85,000) on September 22 after ETF inflows hit €539.9 million ($617.6 million) in the previous session, according to Reuters reporting published by The Economic Times. That kind of movement is hard to ignore. It is also not necessarily the information a founder needs when deciding whether to adopt digital assets.

The better question is much more practical: where, if anywhere, could crypto make running a startup easier?

Why are startups exploring crypto?

Part of the interest comes down to how blockchain networks operate. They can run continuously, and digital assets can move between countries without following exactly the same route as a conventional bank payment.

For a young company working internationally, that can be interesting. A customer could be based in one country, contractors in another and suppliers somewhere else. Add different currencies and banking systems to the mix, and moving money can become even more complex.