A leading digital payments company is expanding its reach into cryptocurrency transactions, introducing a new service that will allow U.S. retailers to accept crypto payments more easily. PayPal announced the rollout of its new service, Pay with Crypto, powered by PayPal, which is designed to enable instant conversions from cryptocurrency to stablecoin or fiat currency. The service will support more than 100 types of cryptocurrency and integrate with major wallets such as Coinbase and MetaMask, giving merchants a seamless way to accept digital payments from customers worldwide.
According to PayPal, this new platform will reduce processing costs for merchants by up to 90% compared to credit card transactions, charging a fee of only 0.99% per transaction. The company has also entered into a partnership with global payment and technology services provider Fiserv to expand the use of stablecoins around the world. “Businesses of all sizes face incredible pressure when growing globally, from increased costs for accepting international payments to complex integrations,” said Alex Chriss, president and CEO of PayPal. He added that the new platform eliminates these obstacles, allowing even small merchants to accept crypto payments, improve profit margins, lower fees, and access their funds almost instantly. Pay with Crypto will be made available to U.S. retailers in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Block Inc., the parent company of Square and Cash App, is preparing to enter the same arena with bitcoin payments. During the Bitcoin 2025 conference held in May in Las Vegas, Block showcased a live demonstration of Bitcoin payments at a pop-up store called BTC Inc. using its Square hardware and software. By using the Lightning Network—a decentralized blockchain protocol that enables faster and low-cost bitcoin transactions—Square’s point-of-sale system allowed direct bitcoin payments that were processed almost instantly. Block intends to begin rolling out bitcoin payments for Square sellers in the latter half of 2025, with a wider rollout scheduled for 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
Although bitcoin and other digital currencies are not yet widely used as mainstream payment methods, a gradual adoption trend has been building. GameStop recently disclosed that it is holding bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, while Walgreens now offers bitcoin purchases at NCR Allpoint ATMs in certain locations. Several companies, including Chipotle through its partnership with digital payments platform Flexa, have enabled bitcoin payments for orders since 2022. Other retailers like Newegg, Camping World, and Sheetz also accept bitcoin payments for various purchases, reflecting a slow but steady move toward integrating digital currency in retail.