ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a veteran in global payments technology, is ramping up its digital currency capabilities through a new partnership with BitPay, the leading cryptocurrency payments processor. The collaboration integrates BitPay into ACI’s Payments Orchestration Platform, offering merchants and payment service providers (PSPs) a streamlined way to accept, store, and spend digital currencies—including stablecoins—alongside traditional payment methods.

The move comes as more retailers explore crypto adoption: a recent ACI and Payments Dive study found that 55% of global merchants are evaluating cryptocurrency acceptance as part of their payment strategy.

Bringing Crypto to Everyday Commerce

By embedding BitPay, ACI aims to simplify digital currency management for its global client base. The integration supports real-world use cases such as peer-to-peer payments, mobile point-of-sale transactions, cross-border B2B settlements, and treasury operations. Businesses can now settle transactions in fiat or stablecoins, creating flexibility for diverse markets and operational needs.

“As regulated stablecoins move from niche to mainstream, new opportunities emerge for cross-border transactions and settlement optimization,” said Adriana Iordan, Global Head of Merchant at ACI Worldwide. “Our partnership with BitPay ensures merchants and PSPs can leverage these emerging rails wherever they add value.”

BitPay CEO Stephen Pair echoed the sentiment, noting the collaboration brings “proven crypto payment capabilities to ACI’s global customer base, enabling everything from simple payment acceptance to more complex cross-border settlement scenarios.”

Platform Differentiation and Market Impact

ACI’s Payments Orchestration Platform already simplifies the complexity of managing multiple payment methods, acquirers, and gateways. By integrating digital assets, the platform not only expands merchant payment options but also creates potential revenue boosts—typically 1–3% sales growth where crypto payments are adopted.

This partnership also signals ACI’s ongoing rail-agnostic strategy, positioning the company to adapt as digital payment regulations and market use cases evolve. The addition of BitPay strengthens ACI’s competitive edge against rivals like Stripe and Adyen, which have been rolling out similar cryptocurrency acceptance features.

With stablecoins gaining traction in cross-border commerce, treasury operations, and supplier payments, ACI’s integration with BitPay could accelerate broader crypto adoption among mainstream merchants, turning what was once experimental into a practical tool for everyday business transactions.