39% of Merchants, 60% of Banks: Crypto Payments Hit Tipping Point
A new survey indicates 39% of US merchants accept crypto, driven by consumer demand, while 60% of top US banks are entering Bitcoin services.Summary
Signs suggest cryptocurrency is becoming a legitimate payment method, with predictions pointing to 2026 as a tipping point. A PayPal and NCA survey found that 39% of US merchants already accept crypto payments, and 84% expect them to become commonplace within five years, largely driven by demand from Millennials and Gen Z.
Merchants report high customer interest, though 90% state they would adopt crypto payments if the setup were as simple as accepting credit cards. Concurrently, traditional finance is rapidly integrating crypto; data from River shows that 60% of the top 25 US banks by assets have launched Bitcoin custody or trading services, indicating institutional demand is too significant to ignore.
Investment in supporting infrastructure is also accelerating, exemplified by crypto payments network Mesh achieving unicorn status after raising $75 million in Series C funding. Mesh's technology allows consumers to pay with any crypto while merchants receive instant settlement in stablecoins or fiat. These converging trends—demand, institutional adoption, and infrastructure investment—suggest crypto payments are shifting from speculation to infrastructure.
(Source：BeInCrypto)