Crypto Stalls at 0.2% as Euro Area Merchants Rush to Mobile Payments

Crypto barely registers with online merchants

The European Central Bank (ECB) reported that only 0.2% of euro area companies selling goods and services online accept crypto assets. The finding appeared in the ECB's latest survey on companies' cash use, published on 13 August 2026. Among firms that sell online, 82% accept payment cards and 74% accept credit transfers. Crypto assets sat far below both instruments. The result showed that digital tokens have gained almost no foothold in online commerce across the region, even as other electronic methods expand.

Crypto stays below 1% in physical stores

Acceptance of crypto assets and stablecoins stayed below 1% at physical points of sale in both 2024 and 2026. The survey asked companies whether they accept crypto assets or stablecoins. It cited Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether's USDt (USDT) as examples. The flat reading contrasted with faster growth in rival payment methods. Acceptance of bank checks, by comparison, fell to 27% from 36% over the same period.

Cash rebounds as mobile payments surge

Cash acceptance edged up to 92% in 2026 from 90% in 2024. The rebound followed a decline observed during and after the pandemic. Acceptance of card payments held broadly stable at 88% between the two survey rounds. Mobile payment acceptance rose sharply to 68% from 36% over the same period. The shift toward mobile reflected wider use of instant transfers and digital wallets at checkout. The ECB said cash remained the most widely accepted payment method in the euro area.

ECB surveyed 8,205 firms across the region

The survey covered 8,205 companies across all 21 euro area countries. It spanned retail, restaurants and cafés, hotels, and arts, entertainment and recreation. Market research firm Ipsos conducted the telephone interviews from 23 February to 10 April 2026. About 25% of companies reported taking steps to promote digital payments. Those steps included investing in tills that accept cashless payments and reducing the number of tills that accept cash. In the euro area, 13% of companies introduced self-checkout terminals.

Bitcoin trades near $63,000 amid limited use

Bitcoin traded at $62,995.66 at the time of publication, down 3.23% over the past seven days (CoinPaprika, 16 August 2026). Its market value stood near $1.26 trillion at that point, well below its October 2025 record near $126,000. The scale of Bitcoin in global markets contrasted with its marginal role in euro area shops. The survey measured acceptance rather than transaction volume, so it did not capture how often crypto payments occur.

Merchants weigh cash advantages against digital options

Companies most often cited consumer preference, security and ease of handling when deciding which payment methods to accept. They continued to see major advantages in cash, such as privacy and reliability. Consumer preference was the leading factor, named by 26% of respondents, followed by security at 22% and ease of handling at 15%. Willingness to drop cash varied by country. Small firms in Cyprus were the most likely to consider stopping cash acceptance, at 51%, compared with 23% in Greece and 18% in Bulgaria.

Primary source: Source ↗