US Crypto Payments Adoption Reaches 19%
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2026 3:44 am
Cryptocurrency payment acceptance among U.S. small businesses climbed to 19% in 2026, a recovery from a dip in 2025 when the rate fell to 15% from 20% the year before. This increase, reported in a recent J.D. Power merchant services study, brings crypto acceptance close to pre-2025 levels, signaling renewed interest from merchants in offering digital asset payments.
Improved sentiment toward crypto among merchants appears to be a key factor in the uptick. According to the study, 37% of merchants now hold a favorable view of cryptocurrency as a payment method, and roughly one-third of those who currently don’t accept crypto said they would consider doing so if their payment provider supported it.
Among those already accepting crypto, fast transaction speeds (28%), customer demand (27%), and reliable performance (25%) were cited as the top reasons for adoption. Fast, blockchain-based settlement can reduce the time it takes for funds to clear compared with some traditional payment systems, which is a notable advantage for merchants.
However, barriers to wider adoption remain. Some merchants still point to fraud risk (24%) and lack of customer demand (24%) as reasons for not accepting crypto payments, alongside issues around complexity or difficult setup processes (18%). This concern about fraud is somewhat paradoxical — blockchain transactions are verifiable on a public ledger and can, in many cases, reduce certain types of payment fraud — but the perception of risk continues to influence merchant decisions.
These findings suggest that while crypto payments are gaining traction, broader merchant adoption will likely require not only better education about the technology’s advantages (such as transparency and irreversible on-chain transactions) but also improvements in user-friendly infrastructure and fraud mitigation tools.
Overall, the rise to 19% acceptance reflects a cautiously optimistic environment where merchants are increasingly open to integrating cryptocurrency payments, but lingering concerns about fraud, demand, and ease of use must still be overcome for more widespread adoption.
Improved sentiment toward crypto among merchants appears to be a key factor in the uptick. According to the study, 37% of merchants now hold a favorable view of cryptocurrency as a payment method, and roughly one-third of those who currently don’t accept crypto said they would consider doing so if their payment provider supported it.
Among those already accepting crypto, fast transaction speeds (28%), customer demand (27%), and reliable performance (25%) were cited as the top reasons for adoption. Fast, blockchain-based settlement can reduce the time it takes for funds to clear compared with some traditional payment systems, which is a notable advantage for merchants.
However, barriers to wider adoption remain. Some merchants still point to fraud risk (24%) and lack of customer demand (24%) as reasons for not accepting crypto payments, alongside issues around complexity or difficult setup processes (18%). This concern about fraud is somewhat paradoxical — blockchain transactions are verifiable on a public ledger and can, in many cases, reduce certain types of payment fraud — but the perception of risk continues to influence merchant decisions.
These findings suggest that while crypto payments are gaining traction, broader merchant adoption will likely require not only better education about the technology’s advantages (such as transparency and irreversible on-chain transactions) but also improvements in user-friendly infrastructure and fraud mitigation tools.
Overall, the rise to 19% acceptance reflects a cautiously optimistic environment where merchants are increasingly open to integrating cryptocurrency payments, but lingering concerns about fraud, demand, and ease of use must still be overcome for more widespread adoption.