PayPal’s Survey Shows 39% of U.S. Merchants Now Accept Crypto Payments

Highlights:

• More U.S. merchants are embracing crypto payments in response to customer demand.
• Larger businesses, especially in hospitality and digital goods, lead crypto payment adoption.
• Over 80% of merchants predict crypto payments will be commonplace soon.

Cryptocurrency payments in U.S. commerce are gradually becoming a common feature, with 39% of businesses already accepting digital currencies. According to a recent survey conducted by PayPal in collaboration with the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), there is a growing trend towards the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency in business transactions. The results show that the demand of the customer is pushing the merchants to accept such payments.

The Rising Trend of Crypto Payments

The study revealed that 39% of American merchants have already started to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment at checkout. Additionally, 84% of the people surveyed believe that crypto payments will become widespread in the next five years. This change has been driven by increasing consumer curiosity. 88% of merchants stated that customers had been asking about making payments with crypto. Meanwhile, 69% of the merchants say that their customers asked to pay with crypto at least once a month.

A new PayPal survey shows that almost 4 out of 10 shops in the US already accept crypto payments.

Even more telling, 8 out of 10 business owners believe paying with crypto will be normal within the next five years. pic.twitter.com/JvJdBahqm0

— MANDO CT 🇮🇪 🇦🇪 🇬🇧 (@XMaximist) January 28, 2026

PayPal Vice President and General Manager of Crypto, May Zabaneh, stated, “Adoption is being driven by customers’ need to get faster, more flexible methods to pay. As soon as companies begin to accept crypto, they can realize its value.” Another key finding of the survey is that 79% of merchants believe that accepting crypto can bring in new customers and that it is an effective business expansion tool.

Large Enterprises Lead the Charge

Although small businesses are following the trend, larger businesses are more likely to accept crypto payments. 50% of those earning more than $500 million in annual revenue accept such payments, compared to 34% of small businesses. According to merchants who accept crypto, it contributes 26% of their total sales. This demonstrates that crypto is not only an investment tool but also a valid form of payment that is becoming more popular in daily business.

The study also concluded that 72% of merchants accepting crypto reported that crypto sales increased year-over-year. This consequently confirms its increasing role in business. Nikisha Bailey, co-founder of Win Win Coffee, noted,

“As payment options keep progressing, it is essential that small businesses experiment with new tools in a manner that seems organic and accessible.”

The Key Barriers to Widespread Adoption

Although this interest is growing, the survey indicates that the main obstacle to wider crypto adoption is usability. A notable 90% of merchants indicated that they would be willing to accept crypto should the procedure become as convenient as receiving traditional card payments. The simplicity is essential because a lot of merchants give feedback that they need a smooth process when setting up crypto payments.

President of the National Cryptocurrency Association, Stu Alderoty, also noted, “The issue is not how many are interested in crypto; it is how many are understanding it.” He also emphasized the relevance of reputable platforms, such as PayPal. These platforms help make crypto payments more convenient for small businesses and consumers.

Meanwhile, the growth of crypto payments has also been hampered by regulatory and tax concerns. Strive executive Pierre Rochard recently noted that U.S. tax regulations are blocking daily Bitcoin payments. This highlights how taxation remains a real obstacle to the daily use of crypto.

The #1 impediment to Bitcoin payments adoption is tax policy, not scaling technology.

— Pierre Rochard (@BitcoinPierre) January 24, 2026