Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDC, USDT: Which Should a Dental Office Accept?

If you're setting up a crypto payment option and wondering "which coin do we accept," the honest answer is that the question mostly doesn't apply the way it would for, say, choosing a card network. This guide walks through what each of the five common assets actually is, why a patient might reach for one over another, and why none of that changes what shows up in your bank account.

Why would a dental office accept more than one cryptocurrency?

Different patients hold different assets, and a practice that only supports one narrows its own funnel for no real benefit. A patient who's held Bitcoin since 2017 isn't going to buy Ethereum just to pay a dental invoice, and a patient who keeps most of their crypto in a stablecoin for everyday spending isn't going to convert it to Bitcoin first. Supporting all five common assets — BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, USDT — removes that friction without adding any to the practice's side.

This is also the reason "which cryptocurrency should we accept" is a slightly different question for a dental office than it might be for, say, an individual investor deciding what to hold. A practice using a rate-lock-and-convert processor isn't making an investment decision at all — it's making a checkout-options decision, similar to deciding whether to accept Visa and Mastercard, or just Visa. There's little reason to pick one asset over the others when supporting all five costs the practice nothing extra.

What's the actual difference between these five assets?

Broadly, the five assets split into two groups: three volatile, non-pegged assets whose USD value moves with the broader crypto market, and two stablecoins designed to track the US dollar 1:1.

Asset	Ticker	Category	Typical patient profile
Bitcoin	BTC	Store-of-value	Long-term holders; the most widely recognized crypto asset
Ethereum	ETH	Smart-contract platform token	Holders with broader crypto exposure, often longer-tenured
Solana	SOL	Fast, low-fee network token	Mobile-first, younger, or more active traders
USD Coin	USDC	USD-pegged stablecoin	Patients who want to move dollar value with no price exposure
Tether	USDT	USD-pegged stablecoin	The most-traded stablecoin globally; similar use case to USDC

None of these categories are exclusive — a patient might hold all five and simply choose whichever one is easiest to send from their phone that day. The table above is a rough guide to why someone reaches for one asset over another, not a hard rule.

Should a dental office prioritize Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is worth calling out specifically because it's usually the asset patients ask about by name, even if they don't end up using it. It's the oldest and most widely held cryptocurrency, and for many patients it's synonymous with "crypto" the way "Kleenex" is synonymous with tissue. If a practice can only message one asset on its front-desk signage or website copy, Bitcoin is typically the one worth naming first, simply because it's the one most patients recognize.

That said, recognition isn't the same as usage. Some patients who "have Bitcoin" hold it in a long-term account they don't want to touch for a dental bill, and instead pay with a stablecoin they keep on hand for spending. This is exactly why offering all five matters more than ranking them — a practice that only accepted Bitcoin would lose the stablecoin-preferring segment of patients for no upside.

What is a stablecoin, and why does it matter for a dental payment?

A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency designed to hold a constant value — typically pegged 1:1 to the US dollar — rather than floating with the broader crypto market the way Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana do. USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) are the two most widely used dollar-pegged stablecoins, and they exist specifically so that people can move dollar-equivalent value across crypto rails without taking on price risk between the moment they send it and the moment it's received.

For a dental patient, a stablecoin functions less like an "investment asset" and more like a digital cash equivalent. A patient paying with USDC or USDT isn't speculating on price movement — they're using crypto rails as a transfer mechanism, often because it's faster or more convenient for them than a bank wire, or because it's simply the balance they already hold. This is a meaningfully different use case from a patient paying with Bitcoin they've held for years, even though both show up identically on the practice's side: a locked USD amount, converted, settled same-day.

It's worth being precise here: a stablecoin's peg is generally reliable but is not identical to holding actual US dollars in a bank account†, and stablecoin issuers are subject to their own reserve and regulatory questions that are outside the scope of what a dental practice needs to evaluate — because the practice never holds the stablecoin itself, this distinction matters to the patient's wallet, not to the practice's bank account.

Does the volatile-vs-stablecoin distinction change anything for the practice?

No — and this is the part worth repeating because it's easy to assume otherwise. Whether a patient pays with a volatile asset like BTC, ETH, or SOL, or a stablecoin like USDC or USDT, the practice's side of the transaction looks identical:

1. The rate locks in USD terms the moment the patient initiates payment.
2. The patient sends the asset they chose, at that locked rate.
3. DDSCrypto converts the payment to USD on confirmation.
4. USD settles to the practice's bank account the same day.

A stablecoin doesn't need to be "converted" from a price-movement standpoint the way Bitcoin does, but from the practice's perspective the process is the same regardless of asset — there's no separate settlement path, no separate bank connection, and no different accounting treatment based on which of the five assets the patient happened to use. The full guide to how the crypto payment rail works covers this mechanic in more detail if you want the complete walkthrough.

Does accepting all five assets cost the practice more?

No. The processing rate is the same regardless of which of the five assets a patient chooses — DDSCrypto's rail runs around 1%†, compared with the roughly 3.53%† effective rate most practices pay on card volume. There's no per-asset fee tier, no premium for supporting Solana over Bitcoin, and no reason a practice would pay more for offering the full set instead of a subset. See the pricing page for the current rate structure.

Because the fee structure doesn't change by asset, the only real decision a practice makes is whether to accept crypto at all — not which specific coin to prioritize. Once a practice decides to add the rail, supporting all five is effectively the default, not an upsell.

Which asset should a practice mention first to patients?

For front-desk signage, invoice language, or a line on the practice website, it's reasonable to lead with Bitcoin by name since it's the most recognized term, then note that Ethereum, Solana, USDC, and Tether are also accepted. Something like "We accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and stablecoins (USDC, USDT)" covers the recognition value of naming Bitcoin first while making clear the practice isn't limited to it.

A short comparison like the one below can also help staff answer the "what's the difference" question a curious patient occasionally asks at checkout:

Question a patient might ask	Short answer for front-desk staff
"Do you take Bitcoin?"	Yes, along with Ethereum, Solana, and two stablecoins (USDC, USDT).
"Does the price change while I'm paying?"	No — the rate locks the moment you start the payment.
"Do I need a specific wallet?"	Any wallet or exchange app that holds one of the five supported assets works.
"Will my payment show up as crypto on my statement?"	No — the practice's records show a standard USD deposit.

This kind of quick-reference table is useful precisely because it doesn't require front-desk staff to understand blockchain mechanics — just the handful of answers patients actually ask about at checkout.

Is it legal to accept all five of these assets?

Generally, yes. In most states, accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDC, or Tether through a licensed payment processor is treated like accepting any other form of patient payment†, since the practice itself never takes custody of the asset — it receives USD. Money-transmission rules, disclosure requirements, and state-level nuances do vary, so this isn't a blanket statement for every jurisdiction. For the full breakdown, see our guide to the legality of accepting crypto payments at a dental practice.

Do different assets get taxed differently?

Not meaningfully, from the practice's side. Because every one of the five assets converts to USD on confirmation before it settles to the practice's account, the payment is generally treated as ordinary USD revenue on the day it's received†, regardless of whether the patient paid with Bitcoin or a stablecoin. The asset a patient chose doesn't change the practice's bookkeeping — a $6,400 case paid in ETH and a $6,400 case paid in USDC both show up as a single USD deposit line. As always, confirm the specifics with your accountant, since reporting requirements can shift with tax guidance over time†.

What should a practice actually do with this information?

In practice, there's very little for a dental office to decide here beyond "accept crypto" or "don't." Once a practice connects a processor like DDSCrypto, offering Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDC, and Tether is a single setup — not five separate integrations, five separate fee schedules, or five separate risk profiles. The asset selection genuinely belongs to the patient, and the practice's job is limited to letting them choose freely at checkout while the rate-lock-and-convert mechanics handle the rest.

If your practice hasn't added a crypto option yet, the pillar guide to accepting cryptocurrency at a dental practice walks through the full onboarding process, the fee math against card processing, and the objections you're likely to field from patients or partners. For ongoing coverage of legality, taxes, and staff training topics, browse the rest of the blog.

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† Pending counsel review; not legal or tax advice.