TLDR
- Nearly 40% of U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency at checkout, with 84% believing it will become common.
- 88% of merchants report customer inquiries about crypto payments, with 69% seeing monthly interest.
- 79% of merchants believe accepting crypto can attract new customers, boosting business growth.
- 50% of large enterprises accept crypto, compared to 34% of small businesses. Crypto adoption varies by industry.
- 90% of merchants would accept crypto if the process mirrored traditional card payments, highlighting simplicity concerns.
A recent survey from PayPal and the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA) reveals growing merchant adoption of cryptocurrency payments, driven by customer demand. Nearly 40% of U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency at checkout, and more than 80% believe crypto payments will be common within five years.
Growing Interest Among Merchants and Customers
Customer demand is the main driver behind increasing crypto adoption among merchants. According to the survey, 88% of merchants report receiving inquiries from customers about paying with crypto, with 69% saying customers want to use it at least once a month.
Additionally, 79% of merchants believe that accepting crypto helps attract new customers. This highlights cryptocurrency as a valuable tool for expanding a business’s customer base and supporting growth. For merchants already accepting crypto, the demand is clear.
Over a quarter (26%) of their total sales come from cryptocurrency transactions. Three-quarters of merchants report that their crypto sales have increased over the past year, signaling the growing acceptance and popularity of crypto payments.
Crypto Adoption Across Different Business Sizes and Industries
The adoption of crypto payments is particularly strong among larger enterprises. Half of large businesses, those with over $500 million in revenue, already accept crypto, compared to 34% of small businesses.
These larger businesses see integrating crypto payments as a way to keep up with consumer demand for fast, secure transactions. Certain industries are leading the way in crypto adoption, including hospitality and travel (81%) and digital goods and gaming (76%).
Retail and e-commerce merchants are also embracing crypto, with 69% of businesses in this sector accepting crypto payments. These industries benefit from crypto’s speed and global reach, catering to a more tech-savvy, digital-native customer base.
Simplifying Crypto Payments for Widespread Adoption
While merchant interest in crypto is growing, simplicity remains a major barrier to widespread adoption. Nine out of 10 merchants would consider accepting crypto if the experience were as easy as traditional card payments.
Similarly, 90% of merchants say they would be more likely to accept crypto if the setup process were as simple as accepting credit cards. Stu Alderoty, President of the National Cryptocurrency Association, emphasizes the importance of making crypto payments accessible.
He notes that understanding how crypto fits into everyday transactions remains a challenge for many businesses. Partnerships with trusted platforms like PayPal aim to close the knowledge gap and simplify crypto adoption for businesses and consumers alike.
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Maxwell Mutuma