Key Takeaways
- Crypto is moving from “nice-to-have” to checkout option, with 39% of U.S. merchants now accepting it, per a PayPal-backed survey.
- Customer demand is pushing adoption, as 88% of merchants say shoppers ask about paying with crypto.
- Most merchants see crypto payments going mainstream soon, with 84% expecting them to become common within five years.
Paying with crypto in the United States is no longer a niche idea reserved for early adopters and tech diehards.
According to a new survey released by PayPal, more merchants are starting to treat digital assets like a real payment option—something customers actively ask for, and something businesses increasingly feel they can’t ignore.
The headline number is striking: nearly four in 10 U.S. merchants now accept crypto at checkout.
And if merchants are right, that figure may look small five years from now.
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U.S. Merchants Are Warming Up to Crypto Payments
PayPal’s survey , conducted with the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), found that 39% of U.S. merchants currently accept cryptocurrency payments.
The research was carried out by The Harris Poll between Oct. 21 and 27, 2025, and included 619 decision-makers responsible for payment strategy at their companies.
Respondents came from industries including:
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Retail and e-commerce
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Hospitality and travel
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Luxury and specialty retail
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Digital goods and gaming
They also represented a wide range of business sizes—from smaller operators to major enterprises generating more than $500 million in annual revenue.
While crypto acceptance still varies widely by sector, the survey suggests the overall trend is clear: merchants are taking crypto more seriously than they did even a few years ago.
Customer Demand Is Doing the Heavy Lifting
The biggest driver isn’t hype or marketing—it’s customers.
A striking 88% of merchants said they receive questions from shoppers about paying with crypto, signaling that digital assets are increasingly part of the payment conversation.
Merchants also reported that this interest isn’t just occasional curiosity.
According to the survey, 69% said customers want to use crypto at least once a month.
In other words, crypto payments are showing up as a repeat request—not a one-time novelty.
“In Five Years, This Could Be Normal”
The most forward-looking takeaway from the survey is the confidence merchants have in where crypto payments are heading.
84% of merchants believe crypto payments will become common within the next five years.
This aligns directly with the growing sense that crypto is shifting from an “alternative” to something closer to a standard option.
But there’s a catch: friction still matters.
The survey found that 90% of merchants would be willing to accept crypto if it were as easy to set up as credit card payments.
That suggests the technology isn’t necessarily the main obstacle—simplicity and familiarity are.
If companies like PayPal and other payment processors can make crypto feel as seamless as traditional checkout rails, adoption could accelerate quickly.
Younger Shoppers Are Leading the Shift
Merchants also see crypto demand as heavily generational.
Interest appears strongest among:
- Millennials (77%)
- Gen Z and younger (73%)
Small businesses, in particular, reported that younger customers are the most vocal.
The survey found that 82% of small businesses receive crypto payment inquiries from Gen Z shoppers.
That generational split matters because it frames crypto less as a speculative asset and more as a behavioral trend—especially as younger consumers gain more spending power.
Big Businesses Adopt Faster, But Not Everywhere
Crypto acceptance also differs depending on how large a company is.
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50% of large enterprises (over $500 million revenue) accept crypto
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34% of small businesses accept crypto
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32% of midsize businesses accept crypto
That gap is unsurprising. Larger companies typically have more compliance resources, stronger technical support, and more flexibility to experiment with new payment rails.
Some sectors are also moving far faster than others. The survey showed especially high adoption in:
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Hospitality and travel (81%)
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Digital goods and gaming, luxury, specialty retail (76%)
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Retail and e-commerce (69%)
Why Merchants Say Crypto Is Worth It
For merchants already accepting crypto, the motivation isn’t just to look innovative.
They reported several practical benefits, including:
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Faster transaction speeds (45%)
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Attracting new customers (45%)
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Improved security (41%)
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Better privacy for customers (40%)
Overall, 79% of merchants said crypto helps bring in new buyers.
Even more notably, 88% said crypto users spend more than the average customer.
This suggests that merchants view crypto payment users as a valuable segment, even if they’re still a minority.
A Small Shift That Could Turn Into a Big One
Crypto payments still have barriers: onboarding, education, and ease of use remain major friction points, especially for smaller businesses.
But the PayPal survey suggests something important has already changed.
Merchants aren’t just asking if customers want crypto anymore.
Many are now planning for a world where customers expect it—and where accepting crypto could be as normal as offering Apple Pay or tap-to-pay.
If that happens, the next five years may not just bring more adoption.
They could redefine what “common payment method” actually means in the U.S.
