Pierre Rochard, a board member at bitcoin treasury company Strive, said the biggest obstacle to using bitcoin for payments is US tax policy rather than scaling technology that lowers fees and settlement times.

He wrote in a post:

“Here’s a metaphor: the best athlete can win against the worst athlete 100% of the time, if the best athlete plays. It drops to 0% if he doesn’t play and lets the weak athlete win.”

Why taxes matter for small payments

Rochard argues that the issue centers on the lack of a de minimis exemption for small transactions.

Without one, spending bitcoin can trigger a taxable event each time it is transferred for payment.

In December 2025, the Bitcoin Policy Institute warned that this structure discourages bitcoin’s use as a medium of exchange.

Lawmakers weigh exemptions

In July 2025, Sen. Cynthia Lummis introduced a proposal for a de minimis exemption covering digital asset transactions of $300 or less.

The bill included a $5,000 annual cap on exemptions and provisions to exempt digital assets used for charitable donations.

It also proposed deferring taxes on income from staking or mining until the assets are sold.

Community pushback on stablecoin carveouts

Some US lawmakers have discussed limiting de minimis relief to overcollateralized, dollar-pegged stablecoins, drawing criticism from bitcoin supporters.

Jack Dorsey called for a tax exemption on small bitcoin transactions, saying:

“We want BTC to be everyday money ASAP.”

Bitcoin advocate Marty Bent also criticized the stablecoin-only approach, calling it “nonsensical.”