ECB survey: Only 0.2% of euro-area online merchants accept crypto. Mobile payments surged to 68% acceptance. The ECB declined to speculate on underreporting.
Only 0.2% of euro-area online merchants accept crypto payments, and acceptance at physical stores remains below 1%, the European Central Bank's latest company survey showed.
The survey covered 8,205 businesses across all 21 euro-area countries, spanning retail, hospitality and entertainment. Interviews ran from February 23 to April 10.
Mobile payments tell a different story. Acceptance at physical locations jumped to 68% in 2026 from 36% in 2024, driven by digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, the ECB found.
Cash still leads overall acceptance at 92%, up from 90%. Physical cards rose to 88% from 87%. Crypto assets and stablecoins showed virtually no change, remaining below 1% acceptance in both 2024 and 2026.
The ECB said customer preference is the biggest driver of payment method adoption, cited by 26% of businesses. Security followed at 22%. Ease of handling accounted for 15%.
The ECB said the findings suggest crypto adoption remains caught in a cycle where weak consumer demand discourages merchant acceptance.
The survey asked whether companies accept crypto assets or stablecoins, using Bitcoin, Ether and Tether's USDT as examples. It did not clarify whether merchants should count transactions where customers pay in crypto but the business receives settlement in fiat. The ECB declined to speculate on whether such converted payments may be underreported.
The ECB said it does not set payment regulation, referring questions about legal acceptance rules to European and national lawmakers.
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