What if the infrastructure that connects crypto to the traditional financial system simply vanishes — not because it fails, but because it becomes unnecessary?
That is the future Alex Fine, CEO of crypto payments startup Fun, described when he predicted that standalone on-ramps and bridges will be obsolete within a year. His argument challenges the assumption that moving between fiat and crypto requires a dedicated intermediary layer.
The Case for Disappearance
On-ramps and bridges exist because the user experience of buying crypto and moving it between blockchains has historically been poor. Users face wallet setup, network selection, gas fees, and transfer times — friction at every step. Fine argues that unified payment infrastructure can abstract away all of these complexities, embedding crypto transactions into applications so seamlessly that users never interact with on-ramps or bridges directly.
The claim is backed by data. Fine says his company has achieved 8x conversion improvements by replacing traditional on-ramp flows with integrated deposit products, suggesting that the user experience gap between traditional payments and crypto payments can be closed.
From Visible Plumbing to Invisible Infrastructure
The shift Fine describes mirrors how internet infrastructure evolved. Early users dealt with dial-up connections, IP configurations, and modem setups. Today, internet connectivity is embedded in every device invisibly. Fine sees crypto payments following the same trajectory — from a visible, user-facing process to an invisible backend layer.
For related coverage of how crypto payments are evolving, see our reporting on Emirates enabling Bitcoin and crypto flight payments.
The $72 Million Bet
Fine's company raised $72 million in a Series A round led by Multicoin Capital and SignalFire to build this unified payment infrastructure. The company is already working with prominent tech firms including Polymarket, embedding payment functionality directly into their platforms rather than sending users to a separate on-ramp.
The funding gives Fun runway to build the deposit products and integration tools that would make on-ramps and bridges unnecessary. If the prediction proves correct, the companies building standalone on-ramps and bridges will need to pivot or face obsolescence.
What It Means for Users
If on-ramps and bridges disappear into unified payment flows, users benefit from simpler experiences, faster transactions, and lower friction. The trade-off is reduced visibility into the underlying mechanics — users may not know which blockchain they are using or how their funds are being routed. For the crypto purists who value transparency, this may be a concern. For mainstream adoption, it is likely a prerequisite.
For ongoing coverage of crypto payment innovation and technology trends, visit Bitnxt.
