The ECB Surveyed 8,205 Firms and Crypto’s Share Is Striking
Crypto aims to become a means of payment like any other. In the eurozone, it is still far from it. In a large survey conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB), it is noted that, even in the case of sector development followed by the…
Cointribune
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Aug 16, 2026 at 6:05 PM UTC · 5 min de lectura
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Crypto aims to become a means of payment like any other. In the eurozone, it is still far from it. In a large survey conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB), it is noted that, even in the case of sector development followed by the entry into force of the MiCA regulation, crypto payments remain marginal at the merchant level. Consumers are still attached to traditional payment channels while businesses show reluctance to take the plunge. This gap persists between the ambitions of the crypto industry and actual usage. Will European regulation be enough to shift the lines?
In Brief
- A study by the European Central Bank conducted with 8,205 companies reveals that acceptance of cryptocurrencies remains extremely marginal in Europe, standing at only 0.2% for online commerce and 1% in physical stores.
- Cash and bank cards maintain overwhelming dominance in the market, supported by the ECB’s explicit intention to preserve access to cash despite the rise of digital and mobile payments.
- This merchant lag persists despite the recognized economic advantages of blockchain and the entry into force of the MiCA regulatory framework, which offers unprecedented legal certainty to industry players.
- Without the deployment of simple integration tools by payment processors, crypto-assets risk remaining confined in Europe to a role of store of value or speculative investment.
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