Quick Breakdown
- Nearly 40% of US merchants now accept cryptocurrency, with customer demand driving adoption.
- Crypto payments already make up over a quarter of sales for merchants that support them.
- Simpler payment infrastructure could unlock wider adoption, especially among smaller businesses.
Almost four in ten US merchants now accept cryptocurrency at checkout, signalling that digital assets are gradually shifting from niche experiments to everyday payment options, according to a new survey cited by PayPal.
PayPal revealed on Tuesday that 88% of US merchants have received questions from customers about paying with crypto. The findings are based on a National Cryptocurrency Association survey conducted in October, which gathered responses from 619 payment-strategy decision-makers across multiple industries.
“What we’re seeing both in this data and in conversations with our customers is that crypto payments are moving beyond experimentation and into everyday commerce,”
said May Zabaneh, PayPal’s vice president and general manager. She added that adoption is being fuelled by customer demand for faster and more flexible payment options, with businesses increasingly seeing tangible value once crypto is enabled.
Crypto moves closer to the mainstream
The survey found that 84% of merchants believe crypto payments will become mainstream within the next five years. Adoption is currently strongest among large enterprises, though smaller firms are steadily catching up.
About 32% of midsized businesses and 34% of small businesses reported accepting crypto payments. Among merchants that do, crypto accounts for an average of 26% of total sales, suggesting customers are not just curious, but actively using digital assets when the option is available.
Major US brands such as Starbucks, Walmart and Home Depot are among the large companies that already accept cryptocurrency, helping normalize its use in everyday transactions.
Younger shoppers and simplicity drive adoption
Millennials and Gen Z are leading the push toward crypto payments, according to PayPal, with sectors like hospitality and travel, digital goods, and gaming showing the highest levels of adoption so far.
However, challenges remain. Many merchants cited infrastructure complexity as a key barrier. Notably, 90% said they would be willing to try crypto payments if the process were as simple as accepting credit cards.
PayPal has been expanding its crypto offerings, launching a crypto checkout tool in July that allows US merchants to accept payments in more than 100 cryptocurrencies, a move aimed at reducing friction and accelerating adoption.
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