Crypto▼ Bearish
ECB Survey: Just 0.2% of EU Firms Accept Crypto Online
ECB survey of 8,205 firms: only 0.2% accept crypto online and 1% at checkout. Cash leads at 92%, cards at 88%. MiCA rules haven't moved adoption.
Continue with
A new European Central Bank survey of 8,205 companies across the euro area shows crypto and stablecoin adoption has barely moved. Only 0.2% of businesses accept digital assets for online payments. At physical points of sale, that figure rises to 1%.
Cash remains dominant. 92% of companies with physical locations take it, ahead of cards at 88%. Mobile payments jumped from 36% in 2024 to 68% in 2026, the ECB said. The survey was designed to track cash's standing against newer payment methods.
The bank flagged a risk: the spread of self-checkout terminals and automated payment systems could make cash harder to use. "To ensure widespread cash acceptance, it is crucial to ensure that the increasing automation of payments does not inadvertently hinder or undermine cash as a viable payment option," the ECB said.