How Crypto Payments Work: Follow the Money

A curious small shop owner peers playfully around the back of a payment terminal on the counter, holding a magnifying glass, as if trying to see where the money goes.

Most business owners who are curious about crypto hit the same wall: they cannot picture what actually happens when a customer pays. Where does the money go? Who holds it? How does it end up in the bank account? Those are the right questions. The answers are simpler than most people expect, because a crypto payment, when handled through a standard processor, follows the same basic shape as a card payment^[1]. This module walks through that journey. Customer checkout. The steps in between. Dollar in your account. By the end, the process will feel like something you already know. [2]^[2] [3]^[2]