Who Accepts Cryptocurrency Top Companies Leading the Way in 2025

Who accepts cryptocurrency in 2025? Big names like Starbucks, Subway, Burger King, AT&T, Surf Air, Binance, Coinbase, IBM, Ripple, and Block now let customers pay with crypto. These companies come from all sorts of industries—food, telecom, travel, and tech. People choose crypto for its convenience and privacy. Bitcoin hit a record high near $109,000 in early 2025, and major companies joined the trend. Strong market growth and new investment options made it easier for more companies to accept cryptocurrency.

Who Accepts Cryptocurrency in 2025

Major Retailers

Many people ask, "Who accepts cryptocurrency in 2025?" The answer includes some of the biggest retailers in the world. Companies like Overstock, Newegg, and Shopify let shoppers use crypto for everything from electronics to clothing. These brands make it easy for customers to pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital coins. Walmart and Target have also started pilot programs for crypto payments in select stores. This move shows that mainstream shopping now includes digital asset services.

A recent report shows that nearly 90% of businesses have adopted blockchain technology. About 87% plan to invest even more in the future. These numbers highlight how fast crypto is becoming part of everyday shopping.

Did you know? The global cryptocurrency trading volume is projected to exceed $108 trillion by the end of 2024, almost doubling since 2022.

Food and Beverage Chains

Restaurants that accept cryptocurrency are everywhere in 2025. Starbucks, Subway, and Burger King lead the way. These chains let customers buy coffee, sandwiches, and burgers with crypto. Many food delivery services that accept bitcoin have also joined the trend. DoorDash and Uber Eats now offer crypto payment options, making it simple to order food with digital coins.

Accepting cryptocurrency in restaurants gives people more choices. It also helps travelers who want to pay without using cash or cards. This trend is growing fast, with more local cafes and chains joining every month.

Telecom and Technology

Telecom and tech companies play a big role in accepting cryptocurrency. AT&T and T-Mobile let customers pay bills with crypto. IBM, Ripple, and Block use blockchain to improve security and speed up transactions. These companies also offer digital asset services to other businesses.

Blockchain helps telecom companies protect customer data and reduce fraud. It also makes cross-border payments faster and cheaper. Telefónica uses blockchain to track international roaming, while AT&T automates billing with this technology. Many tech firms now offer crypto payment options for their products and services.

A study found that technology companies use crypto to lower costs and make payments easier. They also trust blockchain for its security and transparency.

Travel and Airlines

Travel and airline companies are starting to accept crypto, too. Surf Air lets passengers book flights with Bitcoin and other coins. Some airlines use crypto for ticket sales and loyalty programs. Hotels.com and Expedia have added crypto payment options for hotel bookings.

Research shows that tourism and airline companies are interested in crypto, but some still move slowly. They want to see more trust and clear rules before going all in. Still, more travel brands add crypto every year, making it easier for people to book trips with digital asset services.

Crypto Service Providers

Crypto service providers help people use and manage digital coins. Binance and Coinbase lead the market with easy-to-use platforms. They offer wallets, trading, and payment solutions for both individuals and businesses. These companies also help other brands start accepting bitcoin directly.

The number of crypto ATMs has grown from just 9 in 2013 to over 37,000 by 2024. These machines let people buy and sell crypto in stores, airports, and malls. Companies like Bitstop and RockItCoin expand their networks every year. They also follow strict rules to keep users safe.

Crypto service providers keep growing by adding new features and reaching more people. They help answer the question, "Who accepts cryptocurrency?" by making it easier for everyone to use digital coins.

Industry Overview

Retail and E-Commerce

Retail and e-commerce companies have jumped into the world of cryptocurrency. Many stores now let shoppers pay with crypto, making shopping faster and safer. People like using digital coins because they can buy things from anywhere in the world. Retailers save money by skipping middlemen and lowering transaction fees.

• Statista predicts the blockchain technology market will reach almost $943 billion by 2032.
• The growth rate is expected to be 56.1% each year, showing how quickly things are changing.
• Blockchain helps stores check if products are real and keeps supply chains clear.

More than 60 companies, including Microsoft and Twitch, already accept cryptocurrency. Platforms like Shopify and BitPay make it easy for stores to add crypto payments.

Restaurants and Fast Food

Restaurants and fast food chains have become leaders in accepting cryptocurrency. Over 15,000 restaurants in France take crypto payments. Big names like Starbucks, Subway, and Burger King let customers buy food with Bitcoin or Dogecoin. Food delivery apps in Europe and Asia also support crypto payments.
The fast food segment made up 36.5% of the restaurant digitalization market in 2023. Digital payments, including crypto, help restaurants serve customers faster and keep things running smoothly.

Many fast food chains offer special deals for paying with cryptocurrency, like discounts or exclusive menu items.

Telecom and Mobile Carriers

Telecom companies use cryptocurrency and blockchain to improve their services. AT&T lets people pay bills with crypto. Telefónica uses blockchain to track calls and make billing more accurate. Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom use blockchain to check suppliers and manage payments.
Startups like Telcoin and World Mobile use crypto to help people send money or get internet access. These changes make telecom services safer and more transparent.

Travel and Hospitality

Travel and hospitality brands now use cryptocurrency for bookings and rewards. Surf Air lets travelers buy flights with crypto. Hotels.com and Expedia offer crypto payment options. Some companies use NFTs for loyalty programs or give discounts to wallet holders.
A report says over 560 million people worldwide use crypto in 2024. Nearly 15% of American travelers want to pay with cryptocurrency. Millennials love flexible, token-based rewards, and 70% prefer loyalty programs that use tokens.

Banking and Financial Services

Crypto-friendly banks play a huge role in the rise of cryptocurrency. These banks help people and businesses move money between regular accounts and crypto wallets. They offer deposit accounts, loans, and even custody services for digital coins.
Crypto-friendly banks support stablecoins and help exchanges work smoothly. They also use blockchain banking to lower costs and speed up transactions. Many people see cryptocurrency as a way to protect their money from inflation.
Crypto-friendly banks help more people join the financial system, especially those without easy access to regular banks. They also let customers try new things like decentralized finance.
Crypto-friendly banks work closely with regulators to keep things safe and legal. Even though crypto started as a way to avoid banks, exchanges now depend on crypto-friendly banks to handle money.

How Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies Are Used

Bitcoin Payment Options

People use bitcoin for many types of payments today. They can buy coffee, pay for flights, or shop online. Bitcoin payments work fast. Most transactions settle in about 10 minutes, which is much quicker than waiting days for a credit card payment. Many businesses now use payment processors like BitPay, Coinbase Commerce, PayPal, and Stripe to accept bitcoin. These tools help stores handle crypto transactions safely and quickly.

Tip: Bitcoin payments offer lower fees and faster cross-border transfers than most banks.

Many companies use special tools to keep bitcoin payments secure. For example, they use APIs that track every transaction in real time. These tools help with fee calculation, error handling, and even send alerts when payments finish. Some businesses use HD wallets to manage many bitcoin addresses, which helps with privacy and scaling. E-commerce stores, travel sites, and even luxury brands like Gucci and Balenciaga now accept bitcoin and ethereum for everyday purchases.

Supported Cryptocurrencies

Modern payment systems support more than just bitcoin. They also accept ethereum, stablecoins, and other digital currencies. Some systems use distributed ledger technology to track both account-based and token-based payments. This means people can use different types of digital currencies, from private coins to central bank digital currencies.

Payment apps let users pick from a list of supported cryptocurrencies. For example, ethereum is popular for smart contracts and NFTs. Some coins, like Monero, focus on privacy. Others, like stablecoins, keep their value steady. Payment systems group these coins by how they work, their privacy features, and if they use a central or decentralized ledger.

• Payment systems support cryptocurrencies, private digital currencies, and central bank digital currencies.
• Some coins use privacy tools like ring signatures or zero-knowledge proofs.
• Many apps let users choose between bitcoin, ethereum, and other coins for payments.

Payment Platforms and Apps

People use many apps and platforms to make cryptocurrency payments. Square, Cash App, and Coinbase make it easy to send and receive bitcoin. Over 33 million people have downloaded the Square app. About 55 million Cash App users can access bitcoin and other digital currencies. These apps help people pay for goods, send money to friends, or even buy airline tickets.

Payment giants like PayPal and Visa now support crypto payments. They help people spend digital currencies at millions of stores worldwide. Crypto customers often spend twice as much as credit card users. Up to 40% of crypto payers are new customers for many businesses. These trends show that crypto transactions are becoming a normal part of daily life.

Benefits and Challenges

Customer Advantages

People who use bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies see many benefits. They enjoy fast payments and lower fees. Many trading apps charge as little as 0.05% to 0.25% per transaction. Traditional banks often charge much more. Over time, these savings add up. For example, a small fee reduction can help someone grow their wealth by about 5% over ten years.

• No middlemen means fewer costs for everyone.
• Some companies, like BlackRock, cut their trading costs by 40% after adding cryptocurrency.
• Retail users on platforms like FTX saw trading costs drop by 28%.

Crypto-friendly banks help people move money quickly. They make it easy to send bitcoin across borders. Many customers like the privacy and control they get with crypto.

Crypto payments can be faster and cheaper than credit cards or wire transfers.

Common Challenges

Businesses that accept bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies face some tough problems.

• Prices can change quickly, making it risky to hold bitcoin.
• Accounting and taxes can get confusing.
• Laws about cryptocurrency are different in every country.
• Setting up crypto payments can cost a lot and take time.
• Security is always a concern.
• Not every customer wants to pay with crypto.

Big companies like Tesla, PayPal, and Microsoft have all faced these issues. In the U.S., the SEC, CFTC, and IRS each have their own rules for bitcoin. This makes it hard for businesses to follow every law. Crypto-friendly banks often help companies manage these risks.

Security and Privacy

Security and privacy matter a lot in the world of bitcoin. Advanced cryptography keeps transactions safe. Some systems use zero-knowledge proofs and special signatures to protect user data. These tools help keep payments private while still following the rules.

• Some privacy systems can handle over 100,000 transactions per second.
• Many crypto-friendly banks use these tools to protect their customers.
• Some designs use blind signatures to keep user identities secret.

Still, there are trade-offs. Full privacy can make it harder for banks to check for fraud. Some systems balance privacy with the need to follow laws like KYC and AML. Research shows that even with strong privacy, risks like data leaks and tracking still exist. Experts say more studies are needed to make sure bitcoin stays safe and private for everyone.

How to Pay with Cryptocurrency

Step-by-Step Guide

Paying with bitcoin or other digital coins at major companies has become much easier in 2025. Here’s a simple guide to help anyone get started:

1. Register with a trusted crypto platform or exchange.
2. Submit a government-issued ID or utility bill to verify identity and address.
3. Let the system scan and check documents for any signs of tampering.
4. Use facial recognition to match the user’s face with their documents.
5. Complete KYC and AML checks to meet legal rules.
6. Confirm presence with liveness detection, which stops fake photos or videos.
7. Let AI scan for any suspicious activity or fraud.
8. Watch for real-time alerts during crypto transactions.
9. Set up multi-factor authentication for extra security.
10. Make sure all data is encrypted before sending or storing it.
11. Connect a crypto wallet to the company’s payment system.
12. Choose bitcoin or another coin at checkout and confirm the payment.

Many companies now use real-time monitoring and advanced analytics to keep cryptocurrency payments safe and smooth.

Choosing a Wallet or App

People need a secure wallet or app to pay using cryptocurrency. Popular choices include Coinbase, Binance, and Cash App. These apps let users store bitcoin and other coins safely. Some wallets work online, while others are hardware devices that plug into a computer.
A good wallet should offer strong security, easy backup, and support for many coins. Most major companies accept payments from these top wallets. Users should pick one that fits their needs and is easy to use.

Tips for Smooth Transactions

• Always double-check the payment address before sending bitcoin.
• Use wallets with multi-factor authentication for extra safety.
• Watch for transaction fees, which can change based on network activity.
• Stablecoins can help avoid price swings during crypto transactions.
• Many companies offer customer support if something goes wrong.
• Keep wallet apps updated to protect against new threats.

Tip: Over 25% of businesses now use cryptocurrency for payroll, and more than half of Millennials are open to getting paid in bitcoin. This shows how common and trusted crypto payments have become.

Future Trends

Expanding Adoption

Many people now use bitcoin every day. Big companies keep adding bitcoin as a payment option. Small shops and online stores also join in. Some schools even let students pay with bitcoin for books and lunches. People see bitcoin as easy to use and safe. They like how bitcoin works fast and does not need a bank. More countries plan to make bitcoin legal for shopping and saving. Some cities want to use bitcoin for public services. This growth shows that bitcoin is not just for tech fans anymore.

Experts say, "Bitcoin will soon be as common as credit cards."

Innovations to Watch

New ideas make bitcoin better each year. Developers work on apps that help people spend bitcoin in more places. Some wallets now let users pay with bitcoin by scanning a QR code. Others use bitcoin to send money across borders in seconds. Smart devices, like watches and phones, can now hold bitcoin. Some stores use bitcoin rewards to thank loyal customers. People see bitcoin as a way to earn, save, and spend. Many banks now offer bitcoin accounts. Some even give loans using bitcoin as collateral. These changes help more people trust and use bitcoin.

• Apps for instant bitcoin payments
• Bitcoin rewards for shopping
• Smart devices with built-in bitcoin wallets

The Role of Bitcoin

Bitcoin leads the way in the world of digital money. People trust bitcoin because it is open and secure. Many see bitcoin as a safe place to keep their savings. Some use bitcoin to protect their money from inflation. Bitcoin helps people in countries with weak money systems. Businesses use bitcoin to pay workers and buy supplies. Some families send bitcoin to loved ones in other countries. Bitcoin also helps during emergencies when banks close. People believe bitcoin will shape the future of money. They watch how bitcoin grows and changes every year.

Tip: Watch for new ways to use bitcoin in daily life. The future looks bright for bitcoin fans.

Big brands like Starbucks, AT&T, and Surf Air now lead the way in digital payments. They make it easy for people to pay with coins instead of cash. Shoppers enjoy faster checkouts and more privacy. New apps and smart devices help everyone join in. Companies keep adding new features every year. Readers can try these payment options and watch for more changes in the future. 🚀

FAQ

What is the easiest way to pay with cryptocurrency at a store?

Most stores let people pay with a QR code. The customer opens a crypto wallet app, scans the code, and confirms the payment. The process usually takes less than a minute.

Which cryptocurrencies do big companies accept?

Many companies accept Bitcoin and Ethereum. Some also take stablecoins like USDT or USDC. A few brands support coins like Litecoin or Dogecoin. The list keeps growing every year.

Is it safe to use cryptocurrency for shopping?

Yes, it can be safe. Crypto payments use strong security tools. People should use trusted wallets and double-check payment details. Most companies add extra safety steps to protect users.

Can someone get a refund if they pay with crypto?

Refunds depend on the company’s policy. Some brands offer refunds in crypto, while others give store credit. It helps to check the refund rules before making a payment.