Cryptocurrency has been around for almost two decades with the introduction of open-source Bitcoin in 2009, but it didn’t become ubiquitous until recently. Bitcoin, Ethereum, DOGE, these words only became instantly recognizable household words in the last 5 to 10 years.
In that time, more and more companies across a wide number of industries have adopted crypto alongside fiat currency. You’ll find you can spend crypto coins when buying coffee at Starbucks or a new electric car at Tesla or even during a night out at the movies at AMC. You can even use crypto while gambling online. Yes, casino bitcoin is a real thing.
From a niche yet revolutionary financial concept to a mainstream system for transactions in just a few years – how did that happen? Well, in the beginning you had individuals who believed in an economy run on blockchain, even some notable individuals like the Winklevoss brothers. But something else happened, a crucial element to make it all work. Adoption by corporations and name brands.
Wide acceptance of Bitcoin and other crypto was crucial for the alternative currency to gain a foothold in society. While they continue to fight their battles in court with governments the world over, there’s no doubt that crypto has become part of our economy in the US and other major countries. As soon as it was legitimized by large corporations, that cemented it.
In fact, this was key for the crypto movement – popular brands accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and other forms of crypto as payment. This means the average person could use one of these coins to buy groceries or a drink or even building materials. All of sudden it’s not out of the realm of reality that this form of payment could become as popular as swiping a credit card or writing a check.
Of course, for it to become that popular, they’ll need to figure out a quick and easy system for processing the crypto payment. Rest assured, someone or many someones are working on it.
These are some of the major industries currently accepting crypto as payment. Expect this list to expand in the near future as legislation allows for wider adoption.
Retail
Retail was a crucial step in Bitcoin gaining hold. For example, Starbucks saw $9.1 billion in net revenue (yes, that’s net, not gross) in Q4 of 2024. That’s a massive company. And not only is it doing serious business, even those who don’t drink coffee know Starbucks and their logo on sight.
When Starbucks announced that they would start accepting crypto as a valid form of payment in 2021 for as little as a cup of coffee, this suggested to the world that they can let down their guard and start buying Bitcoin and even other alt coins.
It began to feel like more than just a fad. Other retails chains soon followed like Domino’s Pizza, Whole Foods, Home Depot and yes, even Amazon. As the biggest online marketplace, this last one might have been the last domino piece to fall in the long game.
Casinos
Online gambling is having its day in the sun and it’s not hard to imagine why. An age-old pastime meets modern-day technology – how could it not work? In 2024 alone, placing bets or playing casino games online brought in $21.54 billion in the US. The worldwide numbers are even more staggering.
An innovative industry like gaming and online casinos was always going to be at the forefront of technology and it wouldn’t take long for them to adopt crypto. Gamers and gamblers alike can place bets using a number of different crypto coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum and the US dollar-backed Tether (hence the name). It makes sense that a crypto coin pegged or tethered to the US dollar would gain traction in online gambling. It’s just easier to calculate winnings without a bunch of math.
Tech
We live in a digital age which is rapidly advancing. In fact, that’s why crypto is doing so well. It’s not a system built on paper and pen. Unsurprisingly, a lot of tech companies see its value and have also decided to adopt the payment and transaction system.
AT&T, PayPal, Twitch and ExpressVPN are just a few of the big tech companies that now allow customers to pay for services using crypto.
These are just a few examples highlighting the mass adoption of cryptocurrency amongst industries and thus legitimizing it as a real-world currency. As more laws are passed acknowledging crypto for better or worse, this will continue to create a strong foundation to keep it here for the long haul.
