Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. merchants now accept crypto payments at checkout - and that number jumps to 50% (half!) among large enterprises. For businesses already on board (or in this case, on-chain), crypto accounts for about a quarter of their total sales.
These findings come from new research by the National Cryptocurrency Association and PayPal, surveying over 600 payment decision-makers across retail, hospitality, luxury goods, and digital gaming. The picture that emerges is one of widespread acceptance.
Customers are asking for crypto
Nearly 9 in 10 merchants say customers have asked about paying with crypto, and over two-thirds report getting those requests at least once a month - with Millennials and Gen Z leading the charge.
Small businesses are seeing this play out most: 82% of small business owners report interest in crypto payments among Gen Z customers, compared with 67% of mid-size companies and 65% of large enterprises. The smaller the business, the closer the relationship with individual customers, and the clearer the signal.
Early adopters are seeing results
For merchants who've already integrated crypto as a payment option, the numbers are encouraging. Three-quarters saw increased crypto sales over the past year.
Faster transaction speed and access to new customers top the list of reasons merchants are turning to crypto. Traditional payment methods can take days to settle; crypto often clears faster, which matters for cash flow. Security and privacy also rank high. Blockchain creates a tamper-resistant record that reduces fraud risk, and customers who prefer not to share card details with every merchant have an alternative.
Four in five merchants agree that accepting crypto could help them attract new customers, and some industries are already seeing results.
Hospitality and travel leads with over 8 in 10 merchants accepting crypto. These industries frequently handle international transactions and currency conversions, and their customers are already comfortable with digital payments.
Digital goods, gaming, and luxury retail follow closely behind, serving customers who already hold crypto and prefer to spend it directly. Retail and e-commerce are also well represented, with speed and global reach creating natural advantages.
The gap that remains
So what's keeping the rest of the merchants on the sidelines?
As with consumers, some merchants think crypto seems complicated. Nine in ten merchants say they would try accepting crypto if the process were as simple as accepting credit cards. The interest is there, but the friction is in getting set up - and closing the knowledge gap.
Traditional finance and crypto platforms are working to close this gap, but for now, it remains the biggest barrier to broader adoption.
Key Takeaways
Merchants are anticipating where things are headed. More than 8 in 10 believe crypto will become a common payment method within five years, and about a third expect that shift to come this year.
For many merchants across industries, crypto is already part of the checkout experience. Customers are showing up ready to pay with it, and the businesses that have said yes are seeing real returns. The only thing left to solve is the crypto knowledge gap, which is exactly what we’re doing here.
Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The National Cryptocurrency Association from October 21-27, 2025, among 619 payment strategy decision makers in the retail/e-commerce, hospitality/travel, luxury/specialty, and digital goods/gaming industries. The sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.